Escalating hostilities across much of Syria, particularly in the country’s north, continue to kill and displace civilians, while recent bombing strikes have caused the shutdown of hundreds of essential facilities, according to the United Nations. But even as these conditions increase people’s reliance on humanitarian aid, challenges to humanitarian workers’ ability to safely deliver essential assistance are also multiplying.
One bright spot is the Syrian government’s recent agreement to allow until 13 May, the resumption of humanitarian deliveries through the Bab al-Salam and Al Rai border crossings. More than 5,000 trucks carrying essential aid passed through these crossings in 2023, providing essential assistance to 2.5 million people monthly and administering over one million medical procedures.
“We welcomed the three-month extensions for UN access through the Bab al-Salam and al-Rai crossings. These additional crossings have provided important capacity and enabled faster, more efficient aid deliveries to communities in need, on top of the vital crossing at Bab Al-Hawa,” said U.S. Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs to the UN, Robert Wood.
“At the same time, we have made clear that reauthorizing these crossings for ninety-day increments is not a sustainable approach to addressing the scale of humanitarian needs in Syria,” he said. “Given … that humanitarian needs are at the highest level since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, there is no reason why the regime and all parties in Syria should not guarantee humanitarian access for as long as needs persist.”
“Indeed, humanitarian access to all Syrians, wherever they are, and through all modalities, must be unhindered. That includes cross-line humanitarian deliveries to the Rukban settlement, where the regime and Russia continue to block UN convoys,” said Ambassador Wood.
“At the same time, we must not overlook Russia’s role in obstructing political progress for Syria as laid out in Resolution 2254 – the only internationally established path to end the conflict,” he said.
“Russia has undermined the work of the Constitutional Committee, a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned process facilitated by the UN, by imposing demands that have nothing to do with Syria that have kept the Committee from meeting since July 2022.”
“The Assad regime has hidden behind Russia and refused direct negotiations for far too long,” said Ambassador Wood.
“We call on the Syrian regime to do its part to implement a nationwide ceasefire, and to finally engage in the political process in good faith.”
