In a significant development, the spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General announced last Tuesday that the UN welcomes the agreement reached with the Syrian regime regarding the continuation of using the Bab al-Hawa crossing for the next six months.
This agreement is a crucial step towards ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need within Syria.
Under the terms of the agreement, Damascus stipulated that the UN should not engage with “terrorist” entities. Instead, the “International Committee of the Red Cross” and the “Syrian Arab Red Crescent” will oversee the distribution of aid.
However, the UN expressed concern about conditions it found unacceptable at the time.
In a statement released late on Tuesday, the UN clarified that the new understanding with the Syrian regime aims to allow it and its partners to continue providing humanitarian assistance across the borders in the necessary volume and in a principled manner that engages all parties.
This approach is crucial for facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid while safeguarding the operational independence of the United Nations.
The UN Security Council faced challenges in July to reach an agreement on extending the primary mechanism for aid delivery through the Bab al-Hawa crossing.
This was due to Russia exercising its veto power (“veto”) and the United Nations, along with the majority of the Council members, emphasizing the necessity of extending the mechanism for at least one more year.
