After weeks of deadlock, the UN reports that an agreement has been reached with Syria to reopen the only crossing for UN relief deliveries to the rebel-held northwest of the country.
For 4.1 million aid-dependent individuals, the route from Turkey is a lifeline.
Uncertainty about the agreement’s conditions has led relief organisations to express concern that Syria may now try to control how food and medicine are distributed.
Syria had previously been denied any input into the procedure. It had vehemently protested the UN-approved activities through the Bab al-Hawa transit point, calling them a breach of its sovereignty, along with its ally Russia.
“We are concerned that the removal of certainty and security provided by Security Council authorisation will impact on the ability of humanitarian organisations, and particularly Syrian NGOs, to operate effectively,” warned international assistance agency the International Rescue Committee.
The agreement, according to the UN, would keep the bridge open for the ensuing six months. Following a disagreement between Russia and other security council members tasked with approving their continuation, operations had been terminated one month earlier.
Since a devastating earthquake that killed more than 4,500 people and uprooted 50,000 families in north-western Syria in February, Bab al-Hawa has assumed an even greater role as a distribution point for relief.
The UN reported that Syria has also consented to enable it to use two extra border crossings that had been opened with the Syrian government’s permission following the earthquake for an additional three months. The two crossings’ authorization was set to expire on Sunday.