Officials from the United Nations report ongoing negotiations with the Syrian government over terms that would allow humanitarian aid to reach rebel-held areas along the border at Bab al-Hawa. The border crossing has faced a two-week disruption that has hindered relief deliveries into the northwest, highlighting the fragility of aid operations in the region.
On a recent Security Council session, there was no consensus to broaden a mechanism that has permitted the UN to use transit permits from Turkey since 2014. Damascus granted temporary permission a day later, but aid access remains effectively blocked, underscoring the delicate balance between humanitarian access and political control on the ground.
UN humanitarian actors described the conditions set by the Syrian authorities as unacceptable for two main reasons: the ban on direct communication with groups labeled as terrorists by the government and the restrictions on relief operations supervised by the Syrian Red Crescent and Red Cross teams. These restrictions complicate coordination and raise concerns about the safety and independence of aid delivery.
The United Nations stresses the importance of engaging with all relevant actors to ensure safe, unimpeded delivery of relief supplies. Open dialogue is viewed as essential to safeguarding the integrity of relief work and preventing impediments that can arise when external organizations operate without a clear, field-based mandate.
Ramesh Rajasingham, representing the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, updated the Security Council on ongoing discussions over the Syrian authorities’ conditions. The objective is to identify assurances that would enable the UN to fulfill its humanitarian obligations in line with established principles, while respecting national sovereignty and security concerns.
Two other northwestern crossings, opened by Damascus in response to earthquakes earlier in the year, are currently functioning but are delivering far less aid than needed. Their mandates expired recently, stressing the need for renewed arrangements to maintain steady relief flows to vulnerable communities in the region.
Rajasingham indicated that a renewal of permits would be critical, stressing that access through these crossings is indispensable for the near term relief effort. The UN envoy to Syria emphasized the broader political backdrop, noting that despite multiple offers from various countries to improve relations with the Syrian government, progress toward a lasting political solution remains elusive. This context underscores the ongoing tension between humanitarian imperatives and the political realities shaping aid access.