Syria extends opening of 2 border crossings with Turkey for earthquake aid

Syrian government has agreed to extend by anor three months use of two border crossings with Turkey into rebel-held northwest that were opened for aid delivery after a dely earthquake in February, Syrian and U.N. officials said Saturday.

Syrian President Bashar Ass h agreed to open border crossings at Bab al-Salameh and al-Rai for three months to allow aid to flow into Idlib province a week after Feb. 6, earthquake that hit sourn Turkey and norrn Syria.

earthquake has killed more than 50,000 people, including over 6,000 in Syria, according to United Nations. quake also displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

Following a request by U.N. and ensuing discussions, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekd conveyed to U.N. Under-Secretary-General Martin Griffiths decision by Syria's government to allow U.N. to continue using two border crossing points for an ditional three months, said Eri Kaneko, spokesperson for U.N. office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Syria’s ambassor to U.N. Bassam Sabbagh tweeted that period has been extended for anor three months based on Syria’s determination to enhance “stability and improve living and humanitarian” conditions of all Syrians. He ded move also aims to facilitate delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need in all of Syria.

Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib is home to some 4 million people, many of whom h been earlier displaced during country’s 12-year civil war, which has killed nearly half a million people.

David Carden, U.N.’s Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria crisis, said during a visit to Idlib earlier this month that since earthquake some 2,000 trucks have crossed border from Turkey, providing assistance such as shelter, food, medical supplies and or services.

Carden ded that earthquake damaged or destroyed homes of about 855,000 people.

In 2014, Security Council authorized four border crossings to deliver aid to northwest Syria — two from Turkey, one from Jordan and one from Iraq. In January 2020, Syria’s close ally Russia used its veto threat to reduce number of crossing to two from Turkey. following July, China and Russia used ir veto power to reduce number to just a single crossing.