11 July 2021 – WHO welcomes the extension of UN Security Council Resolution 2165 for cross-border aid into northwest Syria for an additional 6 months, with the proposed extension of a further 6 months subject to the Secretary General’s report. The continuation of this large, UN-led humanitarian operation is vital to reach those most in need.
WHO and partners serving the people of northwest Syria will be able to continue their direct support to millions of people in the ongoing conflict zone, where 80% of the population remain in need of humanitarian aid.
In April 2021, the crossing was used to deliver COVID-19 vaccines as part of the first COVAX vaccine tranche, and now WHO will be able to use the Bab-al-Hawa border crossing to transport the next COVAX tranche of 52 800 doses in mid-August. WHO will also continue delivering medical supplies and COVID-19 personal protective equipment to scale up the response to COVID-19 in northwest Syria.
Since the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2165 in 2014, UN agencies have used the Bab-al-Hawa crossing from Turkey to deliver life-saving assistance into northwest Syria. In 2020, UN partners – including WHO - dispatched 1000 trucks of aid to northwest Syria every month, reaching 2.4 million people each month throughout the year.
