If Russia vetoes the cross-border aid mechanism, donors can establish a separate program via Turkey to circumvent the UN and ensure life-saving humanitarian aid makes it to the war-torn country.
Speaking in Geneva during a regular briefing, World Food Programme (WFP) spokesperson Tomson Phiri explained that 2.4 million people in Syria “depend entirely on cross-border assistance for their basic needs, including food. The majority of these people are women and children, many of whom have been displaced multiple times.”
Russia, nevertheless, remains to claim that cross-border aid to Syria must be cancelled, whereas the United States, Europe and Turkey accentuate the need to renew the UN Cross Border mechanism While the current discussion is about the renewal of the cross-border aid legislation for the Bab al Hawa crossing, it should also comprise of a re-opening of the Bab al Salamah border crossing as an additional entry point for aid.
More importantly, the international community must be ready with an alternative if the worst-case scenario happens. For civilians in Syria, cross-border aid is vital, and all diplomatic means must be used to ensure its continuation.
Deprived of an alternative, the humanitarian situation in Syria could spiral, and trigger a new wave of migration. Criminals within the Bashar al Assad regime would be rewarded for their behavior.
Russia’s argument that cross-line aid can replace cross-border aid is mistaken. Past experience shows that aid to opposition-held areas in Syria is unsustainable if they have to cross regime-held areas.
Since 2011, the deteriorating humanitarian situation has played an essential role in the regime’s strategy to achieve military victories and the regime has repeatedly exploited humanitarian aid — whether in Homs, Ghouta or other places.
The regime captured territories by literally starving the local population. Not long has passed since Syria’s religious leaders authorized Syrians to eat cats and dogs to survive. Knowing this, the international community cannot reward the regime with a monopoly over humanitarian aid.
Russia’s current position of strength is not only due to the veto power given to only five states in the UN Security Council. It also comes from the lack of any alternatives. Open communication of the establishment of an alternative alone would be enough to convince Russia to not use its veto right.
According to OCHA, the Cross-Border Mechanism has delivered 42,673 trucks of humanitarian aid from Turkey to Syria between June 2014 and April 2021. In November 2020 alone, the mechanism delivered 420 trucks of aid via the Bab al Hawa border crossing.
In the same month, the Turkish Red Crescent delivered 404 trucks of aid to Syria using multiple border crossings and Russia’s veto right. Furthermore, since August 2012, the Turkish Red Crescent delivered 53,421 trucks of aid.