Syria extended the authorization for the United Nations to deliver humanitarian aid supplies through two Turkish border gates until Nov. 13, the global body's humanitarian affairs spokesperson said Tuesday.
"We greatly welcome the extension of permission by the government of Syria to utilize the Bab al-Salam and al-Ra'ee border crossings until November 13th," the spokesperson for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Eri Kaneko said.
After an earthquake killed more than 50,000 people in Türkiye and Syria in February, Syria allowed the U.N. to use those two border crossings from Türkiye to dispatch aid. The approval was due to expire on Aug. 13.
The U.N. had also been using the Bab al-Hawa crossing from Türkiye to deliver aid to millions in northwest Syria since 2014 with authorization from the U.N. Security Council. But that expired in mid-July after the 15-member body could not reach an agreement to extend it as Russia vetoed the resolution.
Just days later the Syrian government said the U.N. could continue using the Bab al-Hawa crossing for another six months, but those aid deliveries are yet to resume because the U.N. has concerns with "two unacceptable conditions."
The same conditions have not been imposed on the U.N. use of the Bab al-Salam and Al Ra'ee border crossings.
Syrians who fled President Bashar Assad's regime fear he may soon be able to choke off badly needed aid as Damascus acts to establish sway over U.N. assistance into the rebel-held northwest, the last major bastion of the Syrian opposition.
A violent crackdown by Assad on peaceful pro-democracy protesters in 2011 led to a civil war, with Moscow backing Assad and Washington supporting the opposition. Millions of people fled Syria with millions more internally displaced. Fighting has since abated with Assad back in control of most of Syria.
