UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday called for better access for Turkey’s humanitarian aid to northwestern Syria, saying he would be “very happy” if the United Nations could use more than one border crossing point to provide aid after the deadly earthquake that struck. the region this week.
The Syrian government considers Turkey’s delivery of aid to the rebel-held northwest a violation of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Since 2014, the United Nations has had a mandate from the United Nations Security Council. This allows you to reach millions of people in need in the region at a border crossing
Speaking to the New York press, Guterres said now is the time to explore all possible ways to get aid and personnel into the area affected by the earthquake that killed 19,000 people in Turkey in the early hours of Monday morning . and Syria.
“Many non-UN aid agencies are already delivering to other border crossings,” Guterres told reporters. “I would be very happy if the UN had the opportunity to do this at as many border crossings as possible.”
Guterres did not say whether he had specifically asked the Syrian government to allow aid through more border crossings, but mentioned the ability of the 15-member UN Security Council to decide on such a move.
“Clearly we need massive support,” Guterres said. “Of course I would be very happy if the Security Council comes to an agreement to allow the use of more border crossings.”
UN Secretary-General Martin Griffiths will visit Gaziantep in Turkey and Aleppo and Damascus in Syria this weekend to assess needs and see how the UN can ramp up aid, Guterres said. UN relief efforts from Turkey to northwestern Syria resumed on Thursday after a brief interruption due to the earthquake.
Syrian ambassador to the UN, Bassam Sabbagh, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Guterres’ comments.
By comparison, UN aid from Turkey reached 2.7 million people in northwestern Syria last year, 43,500 people per month who have received aid through routes within Syria since August 2021.
Source: La Neta Neta
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
