The UN Security Council reactivated cross-border humanitarian aid in Syria on Saturday 11 July, but with a further sharp reduction imposed by Russia, against a backdrop of strong tensions with the West. 

After seven ballots in one week, it adopted a German-Belgian resolution allowing it to continue using the Bab al-Hawa crossing point which serves the insurgent region of Idleb for a year, but by suppressing that of Bab al-Salam which led to 1.3 million Syrians north of Aleppo.  

Twelve countries voted in favor, three abstained: Russia, China and the Dominican Republic who explained their disappointment "that once again the Security Council [has] been unable to respond collectively and constructively to one of the greatest humanitarian tragedies today ".  

In force since 2014, the UN cross-border authorization allows aid to be sent to the Syrian population without the approval of Damascus. In the absence of agreement in the Council, after two Russian-Chinese double vetoes in three days (the 16th for Moscow and the 10th for Beijing since 2011), it expired on Friday. 

In January, the mechanism had already been severely reduced by Russia, which considers that it violates the sovereignty of its Syrian ally. He had lost one port of entry in Jordan and one in Iraq. 

"It is good news for millions of Syrians […] that the Security Council was finally able to agree on our compromise proposal", however, said in a statement the head of German diplomacy, Heiko Maas. 

Master of the game, Moscow, however, did not give up, imposing its will on the West by inflicting a bitter setback on them. 

During a videoconference after the election, Russia, an ally of the Syrian regime, spoke of "hypocrisy" and "awkwardness" on the part of Germany and Belgium in the conduct of negotiations, attracting acrimonious aftershocks. Supported by the Russians, China has asked Germany for its part not to give it lessons. 

Scathing failure 

"Russia is in control of this process," said Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group (ICG) think tank. The week's veto "was secondary because, in the end, Russia was still going to impose a solution in the terms [accepted today]", he told AFP. 

For the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW), Louis Charbonneau also noted that "the members of the Security Council had given Moscow what it wanted - a drastic further reduction in cross-border aid to desperate Syrians who depend on it to survive". Oxfam expressed concern over the limits on "the provision of water, food, shelter and health care [for millions of Syrians]". 

From four ports of entry last year, "we are one today, as the number of lives at stake in north-western Syria reaches millions," Council member Estonia agreed. , while Belgium deplored "another sad day for this Council and especially for the Syrian people". 

In recent weeks, Moscow had explained to its partners that the Bab al-Salam entry point was used much less than that of Bab al-Hawa. Russia has also estimated that aid passing through control of Damascus could be increased for the Aleppo region. 

Arguments rejected by Westerners who consider that there is no credible alternative to the cross-border device, and who denounce the obstacles made by the Syrian bureaucracy and politics to a flow of aid in areas not controlled by Damascus . 

For the United Kingdom, "the Council had no choice but to approve a resolution which does not meet the humanitarian needs of the Syrian people, which reduces humanitarian access and puts lives at stake". 

While it made Wednesday of the maintenance of two accesses to Syria a "red line", the United States also undergoes a bitter failure. After the vote, they noted that "the resolution was not what UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and dozens of NGOs operating in Syria had asked for by begging the Council". 

The head of the UN is also inflicted a serious setback. In a report in June, he considered it crucial to extend the mechanism with at least two access points. In a statement on Saturday evening, he merely "took note" of the resolution, describing the cross-border system in Syria as a "lifeline".  

With AFP

The France 24 week summary invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 app

google-play-badge_FR