Amnesty International calls for continued aid delivery to those affected by the earthquake in Syria

As millions of people affected by the earthquake continue to rely on UN aid across the border to survive, the UN must continue to deliver aid through the Bab al-Salam and Rai border crossings after the Syrian government expires on 13 May, Amnesty International said in a statement on Friday.

Amnesty International said today that regardless of whether the government renews this approval.

Urgent aid

According to Amnesty International’s legal analysis, the delivery of impartial humanitarian aid to civilians in desperate need across Syria’s borders without the authorization of the UN Security Council is legal under international law, as there are no other alternatives and the UN’s cross-border relief operations are necessary to prevent the suffering of the civilian population and serious human rights violations in northwest Syria.

Amnesty International has called on the UN to continue delivering aid across borders through all available border crossings “The lives of more than four million people are at stake and international law is clear that their rights must be a priority,” said Sherine Tadros, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Advocacy and Representative at the UN.

International movements

Since July 2020, the UN has been providing aid to the conflict-torn region of northwest Syria through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey, according to the organization.

Following earthquakes in northern Syria and southeastern Turkey on 6 February 2023, it took three days for the first shipment of UN aid to arrive.

This delay, coupled with the inability of the UN to scale up its aid response due to logistical and political challenges, has exacerbated humanitarian needs and hampered the work of search and rescue teams.