UN aid to continue, as Syria asserts control

By Nathan Morley

Getting aid to rebel held areas of the country is vital, as around four million people depend on it.

Most deliveries include food, medicine and sanitary products.

However, the United Nations Security council, which has authorised deliveries via Bab al-Hawa from Turkey for the last nine years, failed to agree on Thursday on extending the operation.

This came after Russia vetoed a nine-month extension for the use of the Bab al-Hawa crossing that 13 of the 15 other council members backed.

However, the UN is looking at a Syrian plan to continue deliveries for six months.

As Syria seeks to assert control over the deliveries, the Syrian ambassador Bassam Sabbagh said Damascus had made a ‘sovereign decision’ to let aid cross through Bab al-Hawa and would allow deliveries to resume in full co-operation and co-ordination with the Syrian government.