Damascus, May 5 (SANA) A new study by the Syrian Network for Human Rights says humanitarian aid in Syria has faced systematic obstruction by the ousted Assad regime, resulting in severe humanitarian consequences, particularly for vulnerable groups in northern and northeastern Syria.
The study, authored by Fadel Abdulghany, the organization’s director, notes that international humanitarian law requires the unimpeded delivery of aid to civilians in need. It highlights that Security Council Resolution 2165 (2014) authorized cross-border assistance without the consent of the Syrian authorities to address urgent humanitarian needs.
According to the report, the ousted Assad regime imposed extensive administrative restrictions on aid operations, including control over implementing partners, interference in beneficiary lists, and diversion of relief supplies, undermining neutrality and politicizing humanitarian work.
It further explains that since 2019, successive Security Council vetoes led to the gradual closure of key border crossings, including Al-Yarubiyah and Al-Ramtha in 2020, followed by Bab al-Salama, while the mandate for Bab al-Hawa expired in July 2023. These closures disrupted food aid, medical supplies, vaccination campaigns, and pandemic response efforts.
The study concludes that combined political deadlock and field-level restrictions created severe humanitarian consequences, particularly for vulnerable groups in northern and northeastern Syria, including women, children, and displaced persons.
It stresses that restricting humanitarian access under claims of sovereignty contradicts international humanitarian law in cases of urgent civilian need, and warns that systematic obstruction of aid may constitute a war crime. It also notes that repeated use of the veto in such contexts weakens international protection mechanisms.
The report calls for stronger accountability measures, expanded cross-border humanitarian access based on need, and a greater role for the UN General Assembly when the Security Council is unable to act.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) is a UK-based independent NGO founded in 2011 that documents human rights violations in Syria and is widely referenced by UN bodies, media, and international organizations. Its executive director, Fadel Abdulghany, is an international law specialist affiliated with the UN Development Programme and recipient of the 2023 Franco-German Human Rights Prize.
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