Philippe Goffin welcomes the compromise on humanitarian aid to the Syrian people

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense Philippe Goffin welcomes the renewal of the “cross-border” mechanism aimed at providing humanitarian aid to the Syrian people.

Four million Syrians currently depend on this cross-border humanitarian aid. In recent months, Belgium and Germany - and Kuwait until the end of December 2019 - have made a strong commitment to extend the Security Council resolution enabling this humanitarian aid.

Belgium is relieved to see that numerous and transparent consultation rounds with the Security Council members and Syria’s neighbouring countries have eventually led to a compromise. This compromise makes it possible to maintain - unfortunately to a lesser extent - the assistance for the next six months, in the areas of Syria with the most acute needs at the moment.

Given the purely humanitarian nature of the resolution, Belgium and Germany had hoped for, and worked towards, a more ambitious result. Yet, in the absence of a resolution, the cross-border humanitarian aid to the Syrian people would have been completely cut off as soon as tomorrow. Belgium deems crucial that the humanitarian aid continues to reach northeastern Syria. It is now up to the actors on the ground to take their responsibility and make it happen.