UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
The U.S. permanent representative to the UN, Kelly Kraft
UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
Russia and China use every opportunity to support the bloody regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. This statement made by the permanent representative to the UN, Kelly Kraft.
On Tuesday, Moscow and Beijing blocked a UN resolution on prolongation of the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syria through two checkpoints in Turkey, informs radio “Freedom”. The authors of the document were made by Germany and Belgium, but in General it was approved by 13 of the 15 member States of the UN security Council. They offered to extend the deadline for a year. Moscow insists that the mechanisms sufficiently to extend for six months and to reduce the number of checkpoints to one. This is the fifteenth of veto, which Russia imposes from the beginning of the war in Syria, says DW.
Berlin and Brussels have stated that it is disappointed by the decision. For Germany, the veto was “the more confusing because the text was already a compromise,” said a spokeswoman for the foreign Ministry in Berlin. The authors of the resolution stressed that they are ready to work on a new document.
Russia’s permanent representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzia said that most areas of Syria are now under the control of Damascus and to supply humanitarian assistance by the Assad government.
The actions of Russia and China also criticized the international organization Amnesty international. In his statement human rights activists pointed out that millions of Syrians receive assistance remains extremely important.
According to experts, more than 11 million people in Syria need humanitarian assistance, especially on the background of the coronavirus pandemic, the collapse of the Syrian economy and the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the province of Idlib.
The current UN security Council resolution was adopted in 2014 and was prolonged several times. First, it allowed humanitarian convoys to cross the four border of Syria (two from the Turkish side, one with Iraqi and Jordanian) without the consent of the Syrian authorities. So international organizations to deliver humanitarian assistance in regions controlled by the rebels. However, under pressure from Moscow, the number of checkpoints was reduced to two. The effect of the resolution will expire on 10 July.
Earlier, the UN accused Syrian and Russian military attacks on civilian targets in Idlib province. These actions can be regarded as war crimes. Russia has repeatedly stated that it has nothing to do with indiscriminate bombing and attacks on civilians. In addition, Russia has put forward counter-accusations. In March, Moscow and Damascus accused Washington in supporting the jihadists under the guise of humanitarian aid.
A military conflict between the Assad regime and various factions of his enemies in Syria lasts since 2011. As a result of military operations killed hundreds of thousands of people. More than 5 million Syrians were forced to leave the country.