The continued closure of Al-Yaroubiya crossing deprives the residents of North-East Syria from medical and humanitarian aid

Salman Al-Harbi
Yesterday, Friday, the Security Council decided, under pressure from Russia, to extend the mechanism of entering humanitarian aid through Bab al-Hawa crossing only to Syria for a period of 6 months, subject to extension.

The Russian draft resolution came in the face of another resolution submitted by Ireland and Norway on June 26, proposing to extend the mandate for the delivery of aid for one year, and to re-authorize the Tel Kocher/Al Yaroubiya crossing on the Iraqi border, for a year.

Russia insists on not opening an official border crossing between Iraq and the Autonomous Administration region, as it does not give it additional legitimacy, in addition to using the crossing as a pressure card on the American side to obtain concessions and ease the sanctions against the Syrian government.

The decision, which kept the Tel Kocher/Al Yaroubiya crossing closed, met with widespread popular resentment in North-East Syria, given that it would deprive about 5 million people of the Corona Covid 19 vaccine and the necessary humanitarian aid.

“Preventing aid through border crossings for civilians, including women, children and the elderly, is a crime against us,” Naziha Mohammed told ASO News Network, one of the displaced women from the city of Serekaniye / Ras Al-Ain. They have no relation with the conflicts at al, as she described them.

In turn, Ezzedin Saleh, a founding member of the “Hevdestî” association for the victims of the Turkish military occupation of North-East Syria, said: “The continuation of the closure of the Yaroubiyah crossing deprives more than a million and a half people in North-East Syria of humanitarian and medical aid, including food, medicine and Covid-19 vaccines through borders and other life-saving aid.”

Saleh indicated that only a very small amount of aid reaches North-East Syria through Damascus, pointing out that there are camps for the displaced that are not registered with the United Nations, such as the “Washo Kani” and “SereKaniye” camps in Al-Hasakah, and Tel Al-Saman camp in the countryside of Raqqa. suffering from a shortage of humanitarian and medical aid.

Khaled Ibrahim, the co-chair of the Organizations Affairs Office in Al-Jazirah region, told ASO News Network, “The decision to continue closing Al-Yaroubiyah crossing will affect the region negatively in light of the presence of more than 500,000 displaced people from different regions of Syria who went to the region due to the lack of safety in other regions, in addition to the presence of 12 camps for the displaced, the largest of which is “Al-Hole Camp”, which includes families of ISIS and is classified among the most dangerous camps in North-East Syria,” pointing to the absence of infrastructure in the region that fought ISIS for years and the weak capabilities of the Autonomous Administration, which is under constant pressure from the Turkish state due to the interruption of the Euphrates water and the water station of Alouk.

Ibrahim stressed that the Autonomous Administration stands at the same distance from all displaced Syrians because they are victims of the Syrian war, and does not differentiate between them according to any considerations.
And he expressed his dissatisfaction with what he described as the United Nations’ “ignorance” of recognizing the Serekaniye/Ras al-Ain IDP camps.

The relief official in the Autonomous Administration indicated that the decision to close the crossing will result in the suspension of the work of humanitarian and medical organizations in the region, and it will be difficult to enter medical supplies, medicines and vaccines in light of the spread of the Corona virus (Covid 19) in the region, which “ended many lives”, as he said.

“Ibrahim” warned that ‘the area is approaching the poverty line, and this will lead to the emigration of the people and exacerbate the economic and living conditions of the displaced as a result of the closure of the border crossings’, as he said.

It is noteworthy that the Al-Yaroubiya border crossing or the Rabi’a crossing is one of the four border crossings between Syria and Iraq, and is located between the Syrian city of Tel Kocher / Al-Yaroubiya and the Iraqi city of Rabi’a.

The Syrian Democratic Forces regained control of the city of Tel Kochr / Al Yaroubiya and the entire crossing in late 2013 after defeating ISIS.

The UN Security Council canceled, under Russian pressure, the authorization granted to use the Yaroubiya border crossing between Iraq and North-East Syria, in January 2020.

*The image is from the internet