​​​​​​​Guterres ignores NES. Cross-border humanitarian aids necessary for people of north-west Syria

In a report submitted to the UN Security Council, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres considered that cross-border humanitarian aid to the Syrian population without the consent of the Damascus government is still necessary,
"At this stage, convoys across the front lines, even regularly deployed, have not reached the level of assistance achieved by the cross-border operation" at Bab al-Hawa crossing between Syria and Turkey", Guterres said in confidential report, a copy of which was obtained by AFP.
Forgetting 6 million people living in north- east Syria, the UN Secretary-General stressed, in his report on Tuesday, that "cross-border assistance remains vital for millions of people in need in north-west Syria" around Idlib. The UN mandate that allows international aid to cross the Syrian border without the consent of Damascus government is not unanimously agreed, as it is opposed by Russia, which emphasizes Syria's "sovereignty." But the West wants to keep this mandate on humanitarian grounds.
After approval of the US President Joe Biden and Russian Vladimir Putin, the UN Security Council adopted with difficulty a resolution extending permission to use the Bab al-Hawa crossing for six months subject to renewal. But this rare moment of unity over Syria has led to different interpretations of the text . where the United States and Europe saw that the renewal after six months - on January 10th - for another six months, takes place automatically without the need for a new vote. But Russia said the extension is conditional on the report submitted by Antonio Guterres on Tuesday, with the possibility of a vote on it again.

In his document, Guterres talks about a United Nations project for humanitarian operations across the front lines to reach the Idlib region, which is still outside control of the Damascus government.
"This plan, if implemented, will make operations across the front lines more predictable and more effective," he said.
While Idlib is still witnessing violence through "air strikes and bombings," according to the report, "about 4.5 million people in Syria need assistance this winter, an increase of 12 percent over the previous year" due to the economic crisis caused by the Corona virus and only 2.9 percent of the population in Syria had received full vaccinations.
The United Nations cross-border mechanism, established in 2014, has been operating only through Bab al-Hawa since 2020, after Russia imposed in 2019 the cancellation of three entry points into Syria, including the Yarubiyah/Tal Kojer crossing, which was delivering aid to nearly 6 million people living in NES.
A.K