On Wednesday 13 July, the day after the vote on a new UN Security Council resolution, the EU welcomed the renewal for six months of cross-border deliveries of humanitarian aid to Syria via Turkey, which will allow the UN to use the Bab al-Hawa crossing point between Turkey and Syria until 10 January 2023.
“This is an important outcome for the 4.1 million Syrian men, women and children, including 2.8 million internally displaced persons, in north-west Syria who depend on the vital humanitarian assistance delivered through this mechanism to help them survive”, commented EU High Representative Josep Borrell and EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič in a joint statement.
“At the same time we urge the members of the UNSC to uphold their commitment to renew the resolution for six months in December to ensure cross border assistance is sustained in the midst of winter”, they added.
Highlighting that “while the conflict lasts, there is no adequate alternative to cross-border assistance in order to meet the increasing humanitarian needs in Syria”, the EU reiterates its call for a lasting solution to the conflict through a genuine and inclusive political transition in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2254. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)