About two dozen people protested Wednesday in front of the health department in Idlib against the possible closure of the Bab al-Hawa crossing that brings in international aid into northwest of Syria.
The protest was organized by the Directorate of Health in Idlib along with other humanitarian organizations and medical staff.
They fear that Russia – perhaps seeking to retaliate against Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine - will block the renewal of a U.N. Security Council resolution that allows aid to be delivered from Turkey to Syrians living in the rebel-run Idlib province.
That "will increase the suffering of people in northwest Syria in general, and camps in particular," said Dr. Wassim Bakeer, field medical coordinator for Banafsaj Humanitarian Organization.
The UN mandate to bring aid through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey into Syria expires on 10 July 2022.
Moscow, who is a main backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad, has long wanted to shut down the Turkey route, seeking to have aid delivered solely through government-controlled areas.
Opposition activists and residents warn that is something the authorities in Damascus would exploit as a pressure card against Syria's main rebel stronghold of Idlib.
AP
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