Once again, Russia is threatening to close Bab al-Hawa crossing

Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Vassily Nebizia, said yesterday, Wednesday, that “consultations are still ongoing among the members of the Security Council on extending the mechanism for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syria.”

This came in his speech as the mandate of the mechanism for delivering UN aid to Syria through the Bab al-Hawa crossing approaches to expire on July 10, as Russia insists on stopping it.
Nebizia added: “In the end, the Bab al-Hawa crossing will be closed, and we have to do something before July 10, but I will not give you a specific answer at the moment.”

A few days ago, Norway and Ireland submitted to the Security Council a draft resolution stipulating the extension of the work of the Bab al-Hawa crossing, in addition to the reopening of the al-Yarubiyah corridor between Syria and Iraq, which was closed to humanitarian aid in January 2020.

The Norwegian-Irish draft resolution provides for the granting of the UN mandate to deliver aid to Syria across the border, for a period of one year instead of the six-month period, which Russia insisted on.

Source: agencies