The United Nations Security Council on Saturday extended cross-border humanitarian aid to Syria by one year, the UN News Service reported.
The resolution was subject to a new reduction imposed by Russia that Western countries were powerless to prevent.
At the end of a week of divisions and seven votes, a resolution sponsored by Germany and Belgium was adopted by 12 votes out of 15. It reportedly allows the delivery of food, medicine and other life-saving assistance through the Bab al-Hawa Border Crossing between Turkey and Syria.
Under a previous arrangement that expired at midnight on Saturday, the United Nations had authorised the six-year humanitarian operation to use two border crossings for its deliveries.
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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said through his spokesperson that the reauthorisation would help safeguard assistance for “2.8 million people in need" in northwest Syria until July 2021, UN News reported.
The resolution was approved by co-sponsors Germany and Belgium, along with Estonia, France, Indonesia, Niger, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, South Africa, Tunisia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam.
Russia, China and the Dominican Republic abstained.
The Brussels Times
