Russia vetoes extension of cross-border humanitarian aid mechanism to northwest Syria

July 11 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Russian authorities have vetoed this Tuesday the nine-month extension of the cross-border humanitarian aid mechanism to northwest Syria during a vote within the United Nations Security Council.

Thus, they have rejected the resolution presented by Sweden and Brazil, which planned to extend this assistance mechanism through Turkish territory to the northwest of the country, where some four million people benefit from this aid. China, for its part, has abstained, while thirteen other members of the Council have voted in favour, according to a UN statement.

Moscow’s proposal, however, establishes extending the work of the mechanism — which expired on Monday — for a period of six months. In addition, it includes an appeal to the UN countries to take measures to meet the needs of the Syrian population since Russia considers that the resolution presented “undermines the interests of the Syrians.”

However, this measure has not received the necessary votes for its approval either. The Russian ambassador to the UN, Vasili Nebenzia, has described the vote as a “show” and has warned that its objective was precisely “to provoke the Russian veto” in order to accuse the country of “ending the mechanism”.

For his part, the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, has been “disappointed” by the lack of agreement between the parties to extend the mechanism, which “facilitates the delivery of humanitarian aid in Syria”, as indicated his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, in a statement.