A draft UN Security Council resolution circulated calls for authorising the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syria across the borders of Turkey and Iraq
A road sign that reads"Welcome to Bab al Hawa crossing" is seen at Bab al Hawa crossing at the Syrian-Turkish border, in Idlib governorate, Syria on June 10, 2021
Russia says aid should be delivered across conflict lines within Syria to reinforce the country’s sovereignty over the entire country. The one-page draft resolution states that "the devastating humanitarian situation in Syria continues to constitute a threat to peace and security in the region." She said a second crossing from Turkey to the northwest at Bab al-Salam that was closed in July 2020 should also be restored.
David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, welcomed efforts to continue aid to the northwest and restore deliveries to the northeast but also expressed concern that the resolution didn’t also seek to restore deliveries through Bab al Salam. Lavrov accused Western donors, who are the major providers of humanitarian aid to Syria, of "blackmailing," by threatening to cut humanitarian financing for Syria if the mandate for Bab al Hawa is not extended.