New York, MINA – UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad agreed to open two more border crossings to facilitate the delivery of aid to the northern part of the earthquake-hit country, which is controlled by armed opposition groups.
Guterres announced the development on Monday after Assad approved the use of the Bab al-Salam and al-Raee crossings, which link Turkey to northwestern Syria, for aid outreach purposes, Press TV reported.
In accordance with President Assad’s decree, the crossing will be opened for an initial period of three months to allow for the timely delivery of humanitarian aid.
As well as allowing transit through border routes, the UN Secretary-General said, “facilitating humanitarian access, speeding visa approval and easing travel between hubs will allow more aid to come through, faster.”
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The announcement was made after the UN Security Council held a closed session on the humanitarian situation in post-earthquake Syria.
“Syria supports the entry of humanitarian aid into the region through all possible junction points,” said Bassam Sabbagh, Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, while commenting on Assad’s decision in a press conference after the Council meeting.
The magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit Turkiye and neighboring Syria Monday, February 6, 2023, has so far claimed more than 37,000 lives.
The agreement issued by Assad comes after the United Nations lamented that the anti-government group, which has been designated as a terrorist group by the international community, prevented the delivery of aid to the quake-hit areas of northern Syria. (T/RE1)
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