US Representatives call on Biden administration to support humanitarian aid delivery mandate into Syria

US lawmakers in the House Foreign Affairs Committee called on Biden administration to support extending the authorization of cross-border humanitarian aid delivery through three crossings.

Fifteen US lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas Greenfield calling for “strengthening the critical importance of the US administration’s continued call for 12-month extension of the cross-border aid authorization from the Bab al-Hawa, Bab al-Salama and al-Rai crossings.”

The letter stated that “expanding access to cross-border humanitarian operations is a positive development, and has allowed the delivery of about 500 additional trucks of vital supplies since last February.” The US lawmakers added that “we welcome the extension of the three crossings until August 13, but this is not sufficient to meet the commitments towards Syria under international humanitarian law, especially taking into account the Assad regime’s history of refusing and diverting aid.”

The lawmakers pointed out in their letter, that “supporting security and humanity in northwestern Syria is in the interest of the United States.”

Regarding Assad regime’s attempt to control the mechanism of sending humanitarian aid to northwestern Syria, the letter said that it is an “unacceptable” option.

The US lawmakers stressed that “it is imperative that the Security Council renew the cross-border resolution for at least 12 months, to ensure predictable humanitarian access to the millions of people in need in northwestern Syria,” calling on senior United Nations leaders and heads of agencies to increase their public advocacy and support to renew the resolution.

In their letter, the lawmakers pointed out that cross-line aid cannot adequately meet the needs of the Syrian people, calling for consideration of humanitarian realities on the ground, not political interests.

The lawmakers pointed out that 3.3 million people in northwest Syria suffer from food insecurity, and among the 2.9 million internally displaced persons, 1.9 million live in camps that lack adequate shelter, while about 12.1 million Syrians suffer from food insecurity.

The lawmakers emphasized that “a political solution in accordance with Security Council Resolution No. 2254 remains the only way to end the suffering of the Syrian people,” noting “continuing to promote respect for the dignity and human rights of all Syrians, and continuing to support the Syrian civil society in the pursuit of justice and accountability for human rights violations and abuses.”

US lawmakers stressed in their letter the need for members of the Security Council to unite to ensure that UN cross-border aid is allowed and expanded, for a period of no less than 12 months, and to continue expanding access to life-saving aid across the country through every appropriate route.”

Earlier, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, stressed the need to extend cross-border aid mandate to Syria for 12 months to cover the winter season. The mandate of the UN Security Council, which was previously extended on January 10, regarding humanitarian aid delivery mechanism into Syria through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing, will expire on July 10.