News Alert: Mercy Corps Statement on Renewal of U.N. Syria Cross-Border Resolution

The United Nations Security Council reauthorized the cross-border resolution with one border crossing, in Bab al Hawa, for twelve months.

Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, Chief Executive Officer of Mercy Corps, says:

“Every aid worker in northwest Syria is breathing a sigh of relief today. This resolution does more than put trucks on the road; half of the Syrian organizations in the northwest, working every day to provide lifesaving aid to millions, are dependent on the UN funding that this resolution authorizes. 

“Still, limiting UN-authorized cross-border assistance to one crossing point is perilous. Some 3.4 million people in the northwest of Syria, or 80% of the population, are in need of humanitarian aid and are only accessible through cross-border aid. The delivery of COVID-19 vaccines is also dependent on border crossings remaining accessible. 

“We are at a pivotal moment in this enduring crisis. Humanitarian need is at levels we’ve not seen since the height of the war. With the massive and challenging delivery of COVID-19 vaccines just beginning, additional crossings and funding to support an expansion of aid efforts are vital.”

Mercy Corps is one of the largest international aid organizations operating in Syria, reaching more than a million people with lifesaving and life-sustaining assistance. Humanitarian needs in Syria have increased by 20% over the last year, with 13.4 million people in need of assistance in 2021.