PRESS RELEASE : For now, 4.1 million Syrians can breathe a sigh of relief knowing cross-border support will continue [January 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 January 2023.

Explanation of vote by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the adoption of Security Council resolution on cross-border aid in Syria.

Thank you, President. The UK welcomes the confirmation of the UN’s cross-border mandate, which will continue to provide lifesaving assistance to those in need in North West Syria.

We also strongly welcome the unity of Council in their clear support for this humanitarian lifeline, and thank Switzerland, Brazil, Ireland and Norway for their leadership.

4.1 million Syrians rely on the food, medical supplies and other humanitarian products that the mechanism provides. For now, they can breathe a sigh of relief – in the knowledge that this support will continue. But we must ensure that we provide more certainty to them – and to those UN and NGO workers who serve them.

The humanitarian community consistently warns that shorter mandates result in a perpetual cycle of contingency planning, which limits the capacity to help those in need. The Secretary-General has been clear – the humanitarian imperative demands a 12 month mandate. Let that humanitarian call be the guiding principle of our future discussions..

We are pleased that, today, the Council has played its role in supporting the Syrian people. But the people of Syria deserve more. A genuine political process, in line with Security Council Resolution 2254, is the only sustainable means of ending the suffering for the people of Syria.