Iraq News

UN authorises Syria aid deliveries for another year

The UN Security Council on Thursday (December 13th) approved a one-year extension of humanitarian aid deliveries across Syria, AFP reported Friday.

The move came despite reluctance from Russia, which called to amend the period to six months.

The US, along with the majority of council members, however, approved the one-year extension, citing Syria's dire need for humanitarian supplies.

More than 4.3 million people need aid in areas outside regime control, according to the UN.

That figure includes more than three million people who can only be reached via cross-border operations.

The authorisation allows humanitarian organisations to cross borders after simply notifying the Syrian regime.

During negotiations, Russian Deputy Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy said relief supplies were being seized by armed groups, subject to extortion at checkpoints and had generated millions in monthly revenue for the opposition.

The US believes there is no credible alternative to such deliveries, and has accused the regime of distributing aid unequally at the expense of communities considered less loyal to Damascus during the eight-year conflict.

The first resolution on cross-border aid was adopted unanimously in 2014.

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