New York, NY, July 11, 2023 — David Miliband, IRC President and CEO, said,
"We condemn the veto by Russia today on the Syria cross-border resolution. This resolution is a critical lifeline for millions of Syrians, with no viable alternative to meet the growing humanitarian needs in northwest Syria. It defies reason and principle, that Security Council members would vote to not maintain all avenues of aid access for vulnerable Syrians at this time.
"Needs are at record levels across Syria and it remains a major, acute crisis. The earthquakes that struck Türkiye and Syria on 6 February came at a time when Syrian communities in the northwest were already pushed to the brink. It has added to the layers of suffering, damaging homes and driving further displacement, destroying critical infrastructures including health facilities, and killing and injuring more than 13,000 people in the northwest alone. It will take months if not years to respond to the earthquake’s damage, making the renewal of the cross border resolution for a minimum of 12 months, even more critical at this time.
“Council Members should be guided by humanitarian imperatives rather than politics, and ensure Syrians in need, wherever they are, can be reached through the most direct routes. After so many years of failure for the Syrian people, we call on the Security Council to urgently reconvene to re-authorise access through Bab al Hawa for a further 12 months.”