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Humanitarian advocates warned that millions of people in Idlib, controlled by the Syrian rebels, would face “catastrophic” consequences if cross-border aid operations are closed during the Security Council vote next month.
In Idlib in northwestern Syria, much-needed humanitarian supplies were delivered through Bab al-Hawa, a border post on the Turkish-Syrian border. However, the UN mandate to oversee the operation will expire on July 10, and its renewal is still uncertain.
Approximately 3 million people in Idlib depend on UN assistance, most of whom are women and children who have been frequently displaced during the 10-year bloody war.
The aid is delivered to the rebel positions through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing on a monthly basis, which is the only direct contact between Idlib and the outside world, including food, COVID-19 vaccination, medical supplies and other necessities.
“Most areas of the region rely on the assistance and help of the government and non-governmental organizations. Therefore, given the lack or even lack of daily necessities such as food and medical supplies, and the continued deterioration of civilian living conditions, the region will face different types of deaths. ,” Summer Bakur, a lecturer in Middle East politics at the University of Exeter, told Al Jazeera.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a warning to the UN Security Council on Wednesday about what will happen to Syrian civilians if the border is closed.
“Failing to extend the council’s mandate will have devastating consequences,” Guterres said.
Russia-the main supporter of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government-opposed the postponement, saying that the aid delivery would only benefit the insurgents who control Idlib.
Millions of people need
The UN Security Council designated four border posts in 2014 to enter northwest Syria directly — bypassing the Damascus government — in an attempt to provide necessities for the people there. However, by 2020, due to the opposition of Russia and China to keep the remaining locations, all but one location will be closed.
This minimal access allows humanitarian organizations to help 2.4 million people per month, of which 1.7 million receive food and 85,000 receive nutrition services, and 78,000 Children go through education.
However, the compromise may now end, and Russia, which has the right to veto, has indicated that it will not agree to another extension, believing that it can provide assistance to northern Syria through its capital, Damascus.
Bakur pointed out that the refugee crisis in Syria is the worst refugee crisis in the world since World War II. He said: “Therefore, the work of the United Nations and even non-governmental organizations on the Syrian crisis is not easy.”
However, the UN’s assistance is still “insufficient” and the answer to the country’s core problem has not been found: more than 11 million Syrians have been displaced — 6.1 million domestically and 5.5 abroad, Bakur said.
International aid organizations such as the Islamic Relief Society are increasingly calling for updates to the UN resolutions.
“We hope that the UN Security Council will extend the cross-border resolution for at least another 12 months so that aid can continue through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing,” Alan Macdonald, head of external relations at the Islamic Relief Organization, told Al Jazeera.
“The Last Lifeline”
However, many people believe that the current situation in Syria is more than just maintaining the status quo. Several NGOs have been calling for the restoration of the currently closed border crossings to ensure adequate access to life-saving assistance and to enable them to effectively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Ideally, we also want to reopen the border crossings that were closed last year in Bab al-Salam and al-Yarubiyah. Since the closure, the demand for food, medical supplies and COVID vaccines has increased further,” McDonald said.
“If the Security Council does not update the resolution, it will be disastrous for civilians in northwestern Syria. At a time when people urgently need more assistance, it is shocking that the Security Council is even considering actions to prevent assistance to the most vulnerable groups. For many families, the Bab al-Hawa border crossing is now their last lifeline, and closing it will cost their lives.”
MacDonald said that the closure of border crossings will prevent more than 1 million people from receiving life-saving food aid when malnutrition has increased.
“If the border is closed, the food aid supply may be exhausted within two months. There is no other option in Syria to match the scale of aid that can cross the border,” he said.
In addition to the humanitarian crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic has also exacerbated the suffering in Syria. The number of infections reached a new high in May, with at least 25,205 confirmed coronavirus cases and 1,851 deaths. Many people say that the actual number may be much higher.
“The recent increase in the number of COVID-19 cases has caused hospitals to be unable to respond. Islamic Relief supports hospitals where medical staff work around the clock, as their number of cases has doubled recently due to the devastating combination of COVID, malnutrition, and growing mental health problems. Fan,” McDonald said.
“We work with doctors because they don’t have enough space, so each bed must have two children. People are dying because of the lack of medicines, equipment and supplies such as oxygen and ventilators in sanitation facilities… to stop during the global pandemic Aid should be morally condemned,” he added.
Mental health disaster
MacDonald said that one of the almost forgotten aspects of Syria’s suffering is the trauma suffered by an entire generation.
“We have seen a mental health crisis among a whole generation of children, who now know nothing except the conflict. About half of the children in northwestern Syria are out of school. The longer the crisis lasts, the bleaker prospects for their future. Many children often Nightmares, anxiety, and fear of going to school because many classrooms have been bombed.”
MacDonald said that a “major diplomatic push” is needed, not only to stop attacks on civilians and their infrastructure, but also to create a lasting solution to the war.
However, supporters say that for now, the main focus must be to renew the UN mandate to deliver relief supplies to Syrian civilians in desperate need through the Turkish border.
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