Several leading Western countries claim that they want more humanitarian aid to be delivered to Syrians in need in Syria.
I say 'claim' because their record on donations for humanitarian aid for Syrian refugees is generally piss poor, especially when compared with how much 'deep concern and outrage' they express in the media for the plight of Syrian civilians.
These countries have been pressuring Syria for a long time to allow more aid to be sent into Syria, especially to rebel held areas.
It sounds like a good idea and makes good press. 'West Urges Syria to Allow More Aid'
But Syria has refused.
Which makes even better press. 'Syria Blocks International Aid!'
First let's deal with the point that even if Syria had said 'OK, come on in.' there almost certainly wouldn't have been much of an increase in aid sent to Syria. As I noted before, their record on aid donations for Syrians is piss poor.
So why has Syria said 'No.'?
There are rules in international aid. The host country (in this case Syria) is responsible for organizing the distribution of the aid according to the program determined by the international aid providing organization, and the host country is responsible for the safety and security of those who distribute the aid.
The Syrian government has said 'No.' because these western countries want most of this aid, which will probably never appear, to be distributed in rebel held areas.
If the Syrian government agreed to allow this aid in it would be a minefield for them.
I can see the headlines 'Syria Limits UN Aid Distribution' or 'Syria Doesn't Protect Aid Workers' or 'Syria Only Allows Aid in Government Controlled Areas' but they would leave out 'because the Syrian government can't guarantee the safety of aid workers in rebel held areas'.
So the United Nations Security Council adopted a really odd resolution on Monday.
The UNSC resolution allows the UN to violate the sovereignty of Syria.
The resolution, S/RES/2165 (2014), states:
“2. Decides that the United Nations humanitarian agencies and their implementing partners are authorized to use routes across conflict lines and the border crossings of Bab al-Salam, Bab al-Hawa, Al Yarubiyah and Al-Ramtha, in addition to those already in use, in order to ensure that humanitarian assistance, including medical and surgical supplies, reaches people in need throughout Syria through the most direct routes, with notification to the Syrian authorities, and to this end stresses the need for all border crossings to be used efficiently for United Nations humanitarian operations;
“3. Decides to establish a monitoring mechanism, under the authority of the United Nations Secretary-General, to monitor, with the consent of the relevant neighbouring countries of Syria, the loading of all humanitarian relief consignments of the United Nations humanitarian agencies and their implementing partners at the relevant United Nations facilities, and any subsequent opening of the consignments by the customs authorities of the relevant neighbouring countries, for passage into Syria across the border crossings of Bab al-Salam, Bab al-Hawa, Al Yarubiyah and Al-Ramtha, and with notification by the United Nations to the Syrian authorities, in order to confirm the humanitarian nature of these relief consignments;
...
“5. Further decides that the decisions contained in operative paragraphs two and three of this resolution shall expire 180 days from the adoption of this resolution, and shall be subject to review by the Security Council;
http://www.un.org/...
For 180 days UN humanitarian agencies can transport aid across the Syrian border at four border crossings
without Syrian government permission, and because it is without government permission it is also without the protection of the Syrian Government which would otherwise be required.
The safety mechanism of sovereignty, request, permission, and responsibility for safety and security has been overridden.
But the Syrian government has to be notified.
The four border crossings which were chosen are very interesting.
The Al Yarubiyah border crossing, between Syria and Iraq, is in northeastern Syria.
The Syrian side is controlled by Syrian Kurds and the Iraqi side is controlled by Iraqi Kurds with ISIS(IS), et al. right behind them.
The Bab al-Salam and Bab al-Hawa border crossings, between Syria and Turkey, are in northwestern Syria.
The Syrian sides are controlled by al-Nusra related groups, with ISIS(IS) approaching and hoping to take control, and the Turkish side is controlled by the Turkish government.
The Al-Ramtha border crossing, between Syria and Jordan, is in southern Syria.
The Syrian side is controlled by al-Nusra related groups and the Jordanian side is controlled by the Jordanian government.
The resolution also orders the rebels in Syria - including al-Nusra and ISIS(IS), along with the Syrian government, to allow the UN humanitarian agencies to operate in the areas under their control and to ensure aid workers' safety.
The Syrian government will cooperate as it does now, and the Syrian Kurds will also cooperate, but I wonder just how 'cooperative' ISIS(IS) and al-Nusra, et al. will be. They might be very happy to have unarmed aid workers drop by, and very happy to see the truckloads of food and other aid they bring with them too.
“6. Also decides that all Syrian parties to the conflict shall enable the immediate and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance directly to people throughout Syria, by the United Nations humanitarian agencies and their implementing partners, on the basis of United Nations assessments of need and devoid of any political prejudices and aims, including by immediately removing all impediments to the provision of humanitarian assistance;
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“8. Decides that all Syrian parties to the conflict shall take all appropriate steps to ensure the safety and security of United Nations and associated personnel, those of its specialized agencies, and all other personnel engaged in humanitarian relief activities as required by international humanitarian law, without prejudice to their freedom of movement and access, stresses the need not to impede or hinder these efforts, and recalls that attacks on humanitarian workers may amount to war crimes;
http://www.un.org/...