Abu Dhabi (Etihad)
The United Arab Emirates affirmed its readiness to work with all parties to ensure that the needs of millions of Syrians are met, noting that the lives of Syrians are at stake and diplomacy has failed, stressing the importance of maintaining the credibility of the UN Security Council and ensuring that basic needs reach the Syrians, which is a shared responsibility.
Her Excellency Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Political Affairs, Permanent Representative of the State to the United Nations before the Security Council, expressed her regret at the failure of the Council to take a decision to extend the cross-border assistance mechanism in Syria despite the tremendous efforts made during the past few weeks.
She said, “We had hoped that the council would be able to send a positive message to the Syrian people, especially on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, a sacred occasion that should remind us all of the importance of giving and settlement.”
Russia used its veto in the Security Council yesterday against a draft resolution prepared by Ireland and Norway that would extend the operation of the aid transfer mechanism for another year, until July 2023.
In her address to the Security Council, H.E. Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh added: “We thank Norway and Ireland for their tireless work to reach a compromise, and hope that the unity of all members of the Security Council will encourage to redouble their efforts in the coming hours and days to reach an agreement and extend the cross-border mechanism to ensure Delivering humanitarian aid to millions of Syrians in need.
“We have supported a 12-month renewal of the Cross-Border Humanitarian Assistance Mechanism given the clarity it provides to humanitarian actors and projects,” she said. However, given the outcome of the vote, the dire needs on the ground, and taking everyone’s concerns into account, we are ready to work with all parties on other options, including an extension of nine months to ensure that the needs of millions of Syrians are met.”
At the conclusion of her speech, Her Excellency Lana Nusseibeh said: “Syrians’ lives are at stake, the credibility of the Security Council is also at stake, and failure is not a choice. Our collective responsibility is to ensure that the Syrian people are not left without access to basic needs, and it is our serious duty to transcend the political scene and find a required compromise. ».
More than 4,600 aid trucks crossed the border this year alone, most of which carried food items, according to data from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
“I hope the Security Council will meet again soon and agree to move forward,” said Mark Cutts, the UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria.
The process of aid delivery is urgent, with humanitarian needs in Syria reaching their highest levels since the outbreak of the conflict in 2011, which killed nearly half a million people and led to the displacement and displacement of more than half of the population inside and outside the country.
About 13.4 million people across Syria needed assistance during 2021, compared to 11.1 million in 2020, according to the United Nations.
In another context, Her Excellency Lana Nusseibeh expressed the UAE’s sincere condolences to the people and governments of Japan and Angola on the death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and former President Jose Eduardo dos Santos, respectively.
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