Fortan UN-Hilfe für Nordsyrien nur in Kooperation mit Damaskus

Mit ihrer Weigerung im UN-Sicherheitsrat grenzüberschreitende Hilfe für Nordsyrien zu verlängern hat Russland einen Teilsieg errungen. Fortan hängt diese Hilfe in von Milizen und Opposition kontrollierten Gebieten vom Goodwill der Regierung in Damaskus ab, die diese Gebiete lieber heute als morgen wieder unter ihre Kontrolle bringen würden. Entsprechend entsetzt zeigt man sich in Idlib und fordert die UN auf diese Zusammenarbeit zu boykottieren.

Humanitarian deliveries will be allowed to be sent through a key crossing point from Turkey into northwest Syria, but only under the condition that they must be made in "full cooperation and coordination with the Syrian government".  

The decision by Syria, which was sent in a letter to the United Nations Security Council by Syria's ambassador to the UN, Bassam Sabbagh, on Thursday, will allow the Bab al-Hawa border crossing to be used for another six months, after Russia blocked a proposed nine-month extension at the Security Council.

Both the short extension and the condition to fully cooperate with the Syrian government have raised concerns amongst people in Syria and aid organisations.

Sherine Ibrahim, the Turkey country director for Care, an international humanitarian organisation, said the non-renewal of the previously operating cross-border aid mechanism could have serious implications. 

"Bilateral agreements put power and control in the hands of a few parties, making such agreements inherently subject to far more influence by competing political interests and often come with little transparency,” she said in a statement to Middle East Eye. (...)

Abd al-Karim al-Amr, a 40-year-old political activist from Idlib, said that the Syrian regime has "sought to make the issue of aid political".

"The Syrian government wants to send a message that it is in control and they are above everything, and that they are aware of the situation in northwest Syria, despite them being the ones who expelled them from their villages and killed them," he said. 

This is not the first time the Syrian government has sought to control aid entry into the country. 

When the Turkey-Syria earthquake struck in February, the Syrian government was quick to control what aid reached certain areas, Amr said. 

"At the time there was a decision by the Security Council for aid to enter the earthquake-affected areas through two crossings, but the Syrian government issued a statement and hastened to take control politically and in a humanitarian capacity," he said. 

Molham Team, a charitable organisation founded by Syrian students, said that if the Syrian decision was to go through, "significant harm would be inflicted upon northern Syria".