(CNN) — Russia on Tuesday criticized its use of a veto against the United Nations’ extension of humanitarian aid from Turkey to northern Syria, describing the veto as “inhumane.”
“The United States is deeply disappointed by Russia’s inhumane veto of cross-border humanitarian aid to Syria,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
“We have repeatedly called for the United Nations Security Council to approve a 12-month extension of cross-border access into Syria to protect this vital lifeline for the Syrian people,” he added.
“Russia blocked this decision despite overwhelming support from the Council and calls from the UN Secretary-General, UN humanitarian agencies and non-governmental organizations,” he added.
He stressed, “The United States will continue to support the Syrian people and we will remain committed to reauthorizing the border mechanism. This is a moral and humanitarian obligation, and the Syrian people depend on us to fulfill this, so we must strive to achieve this.”
The decision means that UN agents and humanitarian partners will no longer be allowed to continue using the Bab al-Hawa crossing on the Syrian-Turkish border to deliver humanitarian aid to millions of people in rebel-held northwestern Syria.
Cross-border aid “is an essential part of the work of the UN and its partners, reaching 4.1 million people, 80 percent of whom are women, men and children,” according to statements by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres from June 9 and 22. Both reports on humanitarian needs in Syria said “a 12-month renewal of the cross-border assistance mechanism is critical”.
For its part, the Syrian regime praised Russia’s decision to “veto a draft Western Security Council resolution that violates Syria’s sovereignty under the pretext of cross-border aid delivery,” Syrian state-run news agency SANA reported on Tuesday.
“Western countries still politicize humanitarian work and exceed its limits by using its mechanism as a tool for pressure and political intimidation against Syria,” said Ambassador Bassam Sabak, Syria’s permanent representative to the United Nations, “SANA” agency reported.
Three Syrian NGOs representing more than 100 NGOs operating in Syria strongly condemned the report published on Tuesday on the Humanitarian Services website of the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). , UN in extending the mandate of the mechanism. Failure of the Security Council. Cross-border humanitarian operations in Syria ultimately put millions of lives at risk.”
Syria’s civil war began as a peaceful uprising against Bashar al-Assad in 2011. The war, which has now dragged on for more than a decade, has killed an estimated 400,000 Syrians and displaced millions more, according to the United Nations. Conflict.
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