UN Security Council To Vote On Another Draft Resolution On Syria Cross-Border Aid - Craft

UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th July, 2020) The UN Security Council will hold a vote on yet another draft resolution concerning humanitarian aid cross-border deliveries to Syria, US Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft told reporters on Thursday.

"What we proposed yesterday were the two border crossings for 12 months... When we proposed that, they [Russian representatives] came back with an amendment for one border crossing for six months," Craft said. "So, what we are proposing today, what our vote will be are two border crossings for six months."

Craft said the vote will take place on the draft resolution proposed by the two pen holders - Germany and Belgium - on Thursday afternoon.

Earlier in the day, a diplomatic source told Sputnik that the UN Security Council did not support the Russian draft resolution to authorize humanitarian aid delivery into northwest Syria through one checkpoint in Turkey for half a year.

According to the draft, obtained by Sputnik, the cross-border mechanism would have been sustained until 10 January 2021, excluding the border crossing of Al-Ramtha, Al Yarubiyah and Bab Al-Salam.

On Wednesday, Russia and China vetoed the draft resolution proposed by Belgium and Germany, while the other 13 Security Council members supported emasure.

Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia, in a statement explaining the vote, said that aid deliveries should be coordinated with the Syrian government.

At the same time, Nebenzia said that Russia's permanent mission had already introduced a new resolution, which seeks to sustain the cross-border mechanism in Syria for six months, but limits the number of checkpoints to one - Bab al-Hawa - as it is used for about 90 percent of UN deliveries to northwestern Syria.

The UN Security Council has been extending the existing cross-border delivery mechanism every year since its establishment in 2014. The system allowed the United Nations and its partners to use the border-crossings in Turkey, Iraq and Jordan to delive humanitarian aid to Syria.

In December 2019, Russia and China vetoed a resolution that sought to extend the mechanism, and UN Security Council adopted a compromise resolution that paved a way for aid deliveries for another six months, but limited the number of border-crossings to two.