I Run an NGO in Northwestern Syria. Our Last Lifeline Was Just Severed

Russia blocks UN humanitarian relief from reaching those who need it most

Wafaa and her son Abdullah walk among the remains of their home in the town of Sarmada situated in the northern countryside of Idlib, northwest Syria © European Union, 2023

By Dr. Zaher Sahloul, President and Co-Founder of MedGlobal

The UN Security Council failed this week to agree on the extension of a key lifeline for the people of northern Syria. The resolution in question would have kept open for at least nine more months a border crossing for humanitarian aid from Turkey to parts of Syria not under the direct control of the Syrian government. Russia objected. Another resolution, to keep the Bab al-Hawa border open for just six months, failed as well. 

As a result, UN agencies cannot send aid to Syria until the issue is resolved, including healthcare-focused UN agencies like UNFPA, UNICEF, and the WHO. With more than 70% of Syria’s humanitarian resources coming from this cross-border UN aid, the gravity of what happened this week cannot be overstated. These political games by the mos…