Fears Russia will halt UN aid to Syria

In Syria’s opposition-held enclave, a new kind of panic is setting in. Already living in fear of frequent government attacks, the nearly 3 million people crowded into the country’s northwest corner now risk losing vital aid as Russian moves at the UN threaten to shut down border crossings with Turkey. At the Security Council, Russia is seeking to stop deliveries through one of two border crossings used for US aid. Residents and aid groups say even a partial shut down will cost lives and increase poverty, disease and unrest in the opposition-held parts of Idlib and Aleppo provinces. “We would have a true humanitarian crisis with increased murders and theft, as well as hunger that kills,” said Ghidaa Hussein, a teacher and social worker. The past two days, the UN Security Council has been haggling over UN cross-border aid deliveries. Russia, which argues the aid should be sent through its ally the Syrian government, is pressing for aid to be delivered through only one crossing and only for six months, instead of a year. A counter-resolution by Western countries would keep both crossings open, if only for six months. A final vote is expected today, when the current delivery mandate expires. By vetoing similar resolutions last year, Moscow shut down two other border crossings, including one leading into northeast Syria, run by Kurdish-led forces. The closure hampered aid and medical supply deliveries to 3 million people. The prospect of reducing UN aid in Idlib and Aleppo is ringing alarm bells. In May alone, more than 1.7 million people received health and medical treatment and supplies through UN cross-border assistance, seven international aid groups said in a statement. Of those 1 million were served through Bab al-Salam crossing, which Russia wants closed. “The biggest concern for me is the number of people who [could] die because of hunger and lack of potable water and medicine. It is a very bad situation and a very dangerous situation,” said Munzer Khalil, the head of the health directorate in Idlib province.