Russia and China veto UN extension of cross-border aid in war-torn Syria
- UN has delivered vital relief to Syria since 2014 via border crossings that are not controlled by the Syrian government
- China and Russia argue that this violates Syria’s sovereignty, and Moscow wants to restrict all UN aid to one crossing
Russia and China vetoed a UN resolution Tuesday that would maintain two border crossing points from Turkey to deliver humanitarian aid to Syria’s mainly rebel-held northwest for a year, which the United Nations says is crucial to save millions of lives.
Russia, Syria’s close ally, immediately circulated a draft Security Council resolution that would authorise the delivery of aid through a single crossing point from Turkey for six months.
Germany’s UN Ambassador Chistoph Heusgen, the current council president, announced the 13-2 result of the vote at a virtual meeting which saw the United States attack Russia and China over their vetoes.
“We’re ashamed by what this council has to do right now because of the cynical attempts of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China to put politics above the lives of the Syrian people,” US envoy Rodney Hunter said.
China’s UN ambassador Zhang Jun blamed unilateral sanctions against Syria, which have been imposed by the US and the European Union, for exacerbating the country’s humanitarian situation and urged that they be lifted. He also rejected the US heaping “blame” on China, saying “it’s once again demonstrating the hypocritical approach adopted by this country while they are imposing unilateral sanctions”.
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Entering its 10th year, Syrian civil war remains the 21st century’s deadliest conflict so far