Russia presents a draft resolution at the UN Security Council on the transfer of humanitarian aid to Syria

On December 17, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nipenzia announced that Moscow will present a draft resolution to the UN Security Council on the transfer of humanitarian aid to Syria on the 19th of this month.

“It is not permissible to transfer humanitarian aid to Syria without the approval of the Syrian government,” Russia Today quoted Nebinzia as saying to reporters.

He said that the draft resolution submitted by Germany, Belgium and Kuwait in this regard is unacceptable.

“We were never pleased with the so-called cross-border humanitarian operations, but we accepted it as we took into account the conditions on the ground in Syria,” he said.

“Now the situation in Syria has radically changed and the state controls most of the country.”

Nipenzia added that Russia has prepared a draft resolution that provides for extending the work of the current mechanism for the transfer of humanitarian aid for a period of half a year and not for a year as required by another draft resolution submitted by Germany, Belgium and Kuwait, indicating that the Russian project provides for the maintenance of two out of the four crossings to transport aid.

“We hope that we can adopt this clear and simple decision on the 19th of this month  when the previous decision expires,” Nipenzia said.

It is noteworthy that the UN Security Council adopted Resolution No. 2165, which authorized humanitarian convoys heading to Syria to cross the border. Its validity is extended every year, and this mechanism is still in place since July 2014.

O. al-Mohammad