The American Coalition for Syria (ACS) strongly condemns the proposal sent by Bashar al-Assad to the United Nations (UN) announcing that it would grant permission only to the UN and its specialized agencies to deliver aid across the single Bab al-Hawa crossing for a limited six-month timeframe if the UN complied with its conditions, leaving the vital humanitarian cross-border aid mechanism, a lifeline for millions of Syrians, dependent on the consent of a treacherous regime that has long bombed and besieged communities in northern Syria.
The conditions that the aid operation must take place with "full cooperation and coordination with the Syrian government,” that the UN must not communicate with entities the regime labels as “terrorist,” and that the regime-affiliated Arab Red Crescent must oversee aid operations are a clear attempt by the regime to have undue influence over the distribution of humanitarian assistance. It also raises serious doubts about the impartiality and effectiveness of such aid delivery and marks a dangerous shift in the humanitarian landscape of Syria. The Assad regime has a well-documented history of weaponizing aid and using it as a tool of control and punishment against opposition-held areas
The conditions that the aid operation must take place with "full cooperation and coordination with the Syrian government,” that the UN must not communicate with entities the regime labels as “terrorist,” and that the regime-affiliated Arab Red Crescent must oversee aid operations are a clear attempt by the regime to have undue influence over the distribution of humanitarian assistance. It also raises serious doubts about the impartiality and effectiveness of such aid delivery and marks a dangerous shift in the humanitarian landscape of Syria. The Assad regime has a well-documented history of weaponizing aid and using it as a tool of control and punishment against opposition-held areas
We echo the concerns raised by analysts and experts who highlight the operational challenges and risks associated with the regime’s proposed arrangement. The exclusion of aid partners and the demand for collaboration with the regime pose significant obstacles to providing efficient and impartial humanitarian assistance to the over 4 million people living in Northwest Syria. The safety and well-being of aid workers and the protection of vulnerable populations will be compromised under this arrangement. Furthermore, the limited six-month timeframe increases the risk of humanitarian aid deliveries ending during the onset of winter.
Dr. Mahmoud Barazi, president of ACS.
In a note sent to the Security Council, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) described the demands as “unacceptable” and “neither consistent with the independence of the United Nations nor practical.” The regime’s proposal was enabled by the veto Russia exercised on July 11 against a proposal to renew the authorization for the UN cross-border aid operation for nine-months.
Allowing the regime to dictate the terms of aid delivery undermines the mechanism's original objectives to bypass the need for regime consent in order to provide aid to areas under siege by Assad. ACS calls on the United States and the international community to categorically reject the proposal and to take immediate action to ensure continued humanitarian access to Northwest Syria through alternative modalities for delivering humanitarian assistance effectively and independently, guaranteeing uninterrupted aid access, robust monitoring mechanisms, and swift intervention in case consent is withdrawn.
Allowing the regime to dictate the terms of aid delivery undermines the mechanism's original objectives to bypass the need for regime consent in order to provide aid to areas under siege by Assad. ACS calls on the United States and the international community to categorically reject the proposal and to take immediate action to ensure continued humanitarian access to Northwest Syria through alternative modalities for delivering humanitarian assistance effectively and independently, guaranteeing uninterrupted aid access, robust monitoring mechanisms, and swift intervention in case consent is withdrawn.
