Statement of the Syrian NGO Alliance on UN Security Council Resolution 2642

On July 12, 2022, the Security Council voted again on the resolution on cross-border humanitarian aid for only six months. While the adoption of this resolution ensures the continued delivery of humanitarian assistance for an additional period, making the resolution limited by only six months is a highly disappointing decision toward the humanitarian response to the catastrophic situation that local organizations are working to respond to by meeting the enormous needs of the population in northwest Syria.

The failure to pass the resolution for at least one additional year and to make the humanitarian intervention decision that secures basic humanitarian needs such as water, food, medical services, and shelter. At a time when local Syrian organizations urge that such assistance is not dependent on a political decision and work to ensure that their relief operations, which are the lifeblood of millions of people inside Syria, primarily women and children, do not require a UN resolution. Subject to political tension and part of a conflict, it is hazardous and requires a genuine review of the United Nations’ decision-making mechanisms, especially regarding humanitarian response.

Considering Syria’s catastrophic humanitarian situation and growing needs since 2011, cross-border aid delivery has become more critical than ever. In northwest Syria alone, the number of people in need rose from 3.4 million in 2021 to 4.1 million in January 2022. Thus, reducing the time frame to just six months will have adverse effects on the humanitarian response in north-western Syria, leading to a glitch and disruption in the response processes carried out, resulting in increased pressure on organizations and increased risks for humanitarian workers.        

Therefore, this reduction is a significant step backwards and will create gaps in a well-needed humanitarian response upon which the population depends for survival. In six months, the resolution will be voted on again.

In addition, we are concerned about some states’ positions in supporting one of the parties to the conflict, which caused this humanitarian catastrophe. For instance, while local organizations are working at total capacity and are sparing no effort to respond to people in need inside Syria, these countries release statements that assert the resolution should be in the interest of “The Syrian Government”, forgetting the Syrian people, who are the focus, heart and target of such solutions, rather than working to avoid the influence of political strife on such decisions, which local organizations and humanitarian actor’s demand.  

We in the Syrian NGO Alliance call on the international community and the United Nations:        
To isolate the decision of the humanitarian response in Syria from political tension. We also call on the United Nations and States supporting the Syrian people to actively push for continued access to humanitarian assistance in Syria, regardless of international political tensions, and to strengthen support for local organizations’ response programs to ensure that they can continue to provide humanitarian aid.