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U.N. Security Council Authorizes Strengthened Syria Aid U.N. Council, in Unanimous Vote, Backs Aid Delivery to Syrians in Rebel Areas
(about 7 hours later)
Despite objections by Syria’s government, the United Nations Security Council unanimously voted on Monday to authorize cross-border convoys of emergency aid to millions of deprived Syrian civilians in rebel-held areas without prior approval by the Syrian authorities. Despite objections by Syria’s government, the United Nations Security Council voted 15 to 0 on Monday to authorize cross-border convoys of emergency aid for millions of deprived Syrian civilians in rebel-held areas, without prior approval by the Syrian authorities.
The resolution signified a rare unanimity among the Security Council members over how to deal with the civil war in Syria, which is now in its fourth year and has created what international aid officials have called one of the world’s biggest humanitarian disasters. Nearly half of Syria’s population — 10.8 million people — are now in need of assistance because of the war, and many of them live in areas not controlled by the government of President Bashar al-Assad. Monday’s resolution strengthened the provisions of another adopted five months ago and signified a rare unanimity among the Security Council members over how to deal with the civil war in Syria, which is now in its fourth year. The conflict has left more than 150,000 people dead, spread instability in the region and created what international aid officials are calling one of the world’s biggest humanitarian disasters.
Russia and China, which have historically backed Mr. Assad in the conflict, voted for the resolution, joining the three other permanent members of the Council — Britain, France and the United States — which have strongly supported the moderate elements of Mr. Assad’s political opposition. Nearly half of Syria’s population — 10.8 million people — need assistance because of the war, and roughly half of them live in rebel-held areas.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the resolution, asserting that it could help provide desperately needed aid to Syrians who “have not had secure food supplies or access to basic healthcare for many months.” The resolution was the Council’s response to the repeated frustrations of relief officials from the United Nations and other emergency relief groups over their inability to reach these civilians, who are trapped in besieged areas or otherwise hard-to-reach parts of the country because of the fighting. The Security Council resolution on Syria passed in February, aimed at allowing the widespread distribution of aid, has been repeatedly subverted or ignored.
A group of 34 nongovernmental organizations that have worked with the United Nations in seeking to assist Syrian civilians, including Oxfam and Save the Children, also welcomed the Security Council resolution. In a statement, the group called the measure “a diplomatic breakthrough that must translate into real change on the ground.” The government of President Bashar al-Assad had insisted that all international aid be channeled through Damascus, the capital, and very little, if any, had been getting to civilians in areas not controlled by the government. Mr. Assad’s political opponents said the inequity of aid distribution was part of an effort by him to use the assistance, including medicine, as a weapon of war to sicken and starve rebel-held areas into submission.
The resolution was the Council’s response to the repeated frustrations of relief officials from the United Nations and other emergency relief groups over their failure to reach nearly five million Syrian civilians trapped in besieged areas or hard-to-reach parts of the country because of the fighting. A Security Council resolution passed in February aimed at allowing the widespread distribution of aid has been repeatedly subverted or ignored. Under the resolution, which is legally binding, United Nations convoys can enter Syria through two crossings in Turkey, one in Iraq and one in Jordan, all of which are beyond the Syrian government’s control. United Nations officials had previously identified these crossings as important routes for getting aid to isolated civilians.
Mr. Assad’s government has insisted that all international aid be channeled through Damascus, the capital, and very little, if any, was getting to civilians who were not in areas controlled by the government. Mr. Assad’s political opponents said the inequity of aid distribution was part of what they called his effort to starve rebel-held areas into submission. There had been some uncertainty over whether the resolution, drafted by Australia, Jordan and Luxembourg, would get yes votes from Russia and China, the two permanent Security Council members that have historically defended Mr. Assad in the conflict and have vetoed four previous resolutions on Syria.
Under the resolution, United Nations agencies and other aid groups are authorized to use four international routes — two on the Turkish border, one in Iraq, and one in Jordan — to transport emergency assistance meant for Syrian civilians. It requires that Syrian authorities be notified of the nature of the cargos, but they would not have control of the deliveries. But heading into the vote, their backing appeared assured partly because the resolution does not threaten economic or military enforcement action in the case of noncompliance. The resolution also creates a monitoring mechanism, under the auspices of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, to assure that all the deliveries are vetted, aimed at avoiding the possibility of weapons smuggling to the insurgents fighting Mr. Assad.
Syrian officials had sharply criticized the resolution as an infringement on the country’s sovereignty. The resolution was a diplomatic setback for Mr. Assad’s government, which had said that any entry from its neighbors, without the government’s prior approval, amounted to an incursion or an attack.
Sylvie Lucas, the ambassador from Luxembourg, said the Syrian government’s denial of aid to rebel-held areas was the main reason for the resolution. In remarks to the Council after the vote, she said the resolution’s sponsors had been “forced to seek other means, other ways to ensure that humanitarian aid is provided to more Syrians, wherever they may live.”
Under the resolution, she said, “the consent of the Syrian government will no longer be necessary.”
It was the third time that Russia and China had joined in a Syria resolution with the three other permanent members of the Council — Britain, France and the United States — which have strongly supported the moderate elements of Mr. Assad’s political opposition. The first was last September, when the Council unanimously approved a measure to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal, and the second was a measure in February calling for unfettered humanitarian access to all. It was the noncompliance with that measure that led to the resolution adopted on Monday.
Mr. Ban welcomed the resolution, asserting in a statement that it could help provide aid to Syrians who “have not had secure food supplies or access to basic health care for many months.”
A group of 34 nongovernmental organizations that have worked with the United Nations in trying to help Syrian civilians, including Oxfam and Save the Children, also welcomed the Security Council resolution. In a statement, the group called it “a diplomatic breakthrough that must translate into real change on the ground.”
Syria’s ambassador, Bashar al-Jaafari, who was invited by the Security Council to attend the vote, was sharply critical of the resolution, contending Syria had gone out of its way to accommodate international relief efforts. He also asserted that some of the same countries advocating greater humanitarian access — he cited Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar — were responsible for empowering the Islamist extremists seeking to destabilize Syria and Iraq.
“First and foremost, terrorism must stop for the humanitarian situation in Syria to improve,” he said.