Oxfam response to the UN Security Council’s vote on continuing cross-border aid into Syria

In response to the results of the vote on a UN resolution continuing to allow cross-border aid into Syria for six months, Oxfam’s Head of Office in New York, Brenda Mofya said:

“The UN Security Council’s decision to renew the cross-border resolution for only six months is deeply disappointing and could potentially leave more than four million people in north-west Syria without the assistance they depend upon to survive when the harsh winter months arrive. This unsustainable process is adding more uncertainty to an already precarious situation for vulnerable Syrians. If the Council should let it lapse again, humanitarian agencies will not be able to deliver vital assistance— including food, water, medicine, shelter and other essential services.

ʺSix months is not adequate time to plan for alternative methods of aid delivery in the absence of the cross-border option, nor to make significant progress in activities to help the country recover - including investing in agriculture and providing adequate electricity - that would help Syrians become less reliant on aid.

ʺNearly six out of ten Syrians are struggling to put food on the table - the highest number of people going hungry since the start of the conflict. With the number of people dependent on humanitarian aid in Syria greater than ever before, humanitarian organizations need more access to vulnerable people, not less.

“The Council must prioritize the lives of vulnerable Syrians over politics and take decisive action to ensure that the support this cross-border resolution provides continues beyond January 2023.”

Ends

Notes to Editor

• Source for statistic of nearly six out of ten people are struggling to put food on table: World Food Program, Syria Emergency, Syria emergency | World Food Programme (wfp.org)
• Since 2013, Oxfam in Syria has been providing clean water to people affected by the conflict - delivering water to those that have no access to water and repairing damaged sections of the water and sewerage network so more families can access safe, clean water in their homes. Oxfam is also responding to people’s urgent needs by distributing cash and food as well as working with people to rebuild their lives. Oxfam is currently working in eight governorates and has helped on average one million people per year for the past three years.