On Friday, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) agreed to prolong cross-border humanitarian delivery into Syria for another year. On Saturday, the UN mandate allowing the delivery was slated to expire.
The 12-month extension was made possible by an undisclosed last-minute agreement with Russia, which has veto power as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and had previously expressed opposition to the extension.
The UN mandate, which was established by a UN resolution in 2014, must be renewed every year.
Russia, a staunch friend of the Syrian regime, recently used its veto power in the UN Security Council to shut off three of the four border crossings used by the UN to transfer food and medical supplies into Syria.
Russia has previously stated that the remaining border crossing in northwestern Syria, Bab al-Hawa, should be closed prior to Friday’s unanimous UNSC vote. Observers warned that shutting it down would result in a humanitarian disaster.
