All delivery channels for humanitarian aid in Syria should be kept available: UN chief

UNITED NATIONS, June 20 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday that all delivery channels for humanitarian aid in Syria should be kept available.

The humanitarian situation in Syria remains dire. Needs are at their highest since the start of the war more than 11 years ago. The world's largest refugee crisis continues to impact the region and the world, Guterres told the Security Council.

Some 14.6 million people need humanitarian assistance. Twelve million people are food insecure. Ninety percent of the population live below the poverty line. Infrastructure is crumbling. Economic activity halved during a decade of conflict, regional financial crises, sanctions, and the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

Needs in Northwest Syria continue to increase. Some 2.8 million people, mostly women and children, are displaced. Many live in camps or informal settlements. More than 90 percent of people in the Northwest need aid, he said.

The massive humanitarian response the United Nations and its partners are conducting in Syria has staved off the worst. But more is required, he said. "That is why I have consistently stated the importance of maintaining and expanding access, including through cross-line and cross-border operations. When it comes to delivering life-saving aid to people in need across Syria, all channels should be made, and kept, available."

Despite the incredibly challenging operating environment, the United Nations has delivered aid across the front lines into the Northwest. Five cross-line convoys have now provided life-saving assistance to tens of thousands of people in need. The United Nations has also taken full advantage of the cross-border authorization to save lives. Hundreds of trucks now cross from Turkey every month. Since cross-border aid was authorized in 2014, over 50,000 trucks have crossed into Syria to provide assistance to those in need, said Guterres.

"The United Nations cross-border operation into Syria is one of the most heavily scrutinized and monitored aid operations in the world. There is no doubt that our aid is reaching the people in need. While increasing cross-line assistance was an important achievement, in the present circumstances, it is not at the scale needed to replace the massive cross-border response," he said.

He called on the members of the Security Council to maintain consensus on allowing cross-border operations by renewing the authorization for an additional 12 months.

Together, the international community has helped avoid a total collapse in Syria. But the only way to end the humanitarian tragedy in Syria is through a truly nationwide cease-fire and a political solution that enables the Syrian people to determine their own future. The international community must do all that is necessary to reach a negotiated political solution, he said.