By Mustafa Caglayan
NEW YORK
United Nations Security Council on Wednesday voted unanimously to renew authorization for UN agencies and aid organizations to deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid in Syria, without government approval.
Originally adopted in July, resolution 2165 authorizes the use of the border crossings of al-Ramtha on the border with Jordan, al-Yarubiyah from Iraq, and Bab al-Salam and Bab al-Hawa from Turkey.
It says the council is "gravely concerned at the lack of effective implementation" of its past resolutions demanding that the Syrian government and opposition forces permit aid trucks to reach civilians across the country.
UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said Monday that "the parties to the conflict continue to ignore the most basic principles of humanity."
"The Council's strong demands have gone unheard. ... In many parts of Syria the level of violence has worsened, with civilians continuing to pay heavily with loss of life, serious injuries, psychological trauma, ongoing and recurring displacement and massive damage to property and infrastructure," she said.
The conflict in Syria that began in March 2011 has claimed nearly 200,000 lives and as many as 12.2 million people now require humanitarian assistance, according to the UN.
Almost half of the Syrian population has been displaced with more than 7.6 million internally displaced people and as many as 3 million refugees in neighboring countries, Amos said.
The renewed text also voiced support for an "action plan" prepared by Staffan de Mistura, UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Syria.
It said the Council "looks forward in particular to further advice from the Special Envoy concerning his proposals aimed at reducing violence, including through the implementation of freeze zones."
The plan envisages establishing a special zone in Aleppo in which fighting would stop, leading to the delivery of humanitarian aid and the build-up of the political process at a local level
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