US Ambassador says al-Yaroubiya crossing needs to be reopened

“The situation in northeast Syria is worse with the closure of the al-Yaroubiya crossing.”

Wladimir van Wilgenburg 2022/02/26 19:07

US Ambassador Richard Mills (Photo: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe)

Syria Syria UN Security Council UN General Assembly UN northeast Syria Yarubiyah al-Yaroubiya

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – US Ambassador Richard Mills, the Deputy US Representative to the United Nations, told UN Security Council members during a briefing on Friday that the Syrian Yaroubiya border crossing needs to be reopened. Moreover, he credited the SDF for responding swiftly to the ISIS attack on the Hasakah prison on Jan. 20.

The number of people in need in Syria is now higher than at any point in the 11-year conflict. The situation in northeast Syria is worse with the closure of the al-Yaroubiya crossing. The UNSC must renew and expand the cross-border mechanism this summer. https://t.co/Nhhu1nR7K2
— U.S. Mission to the UN (@USUN) February 25, 2022

"The number of people in need in Syria is now higher than at any point in the 11-year conflict. The situation in northeast Syria is worse with the closure of the al-Yaroubiya crossing. The UNSC must renew and expand the cross-border mechanism this summer," he said.

The Al-Yarubiyah border crossing with Northeast Syria was closed in January 2020 after Russia and China vetoed UN Security Council resolutions to keep it open.

Officials from northeast Syria have repeatedly called for the reopening of the crossing. After its closure, only limited aid has been going to northeast Syria, exacerbating the dire situation there.

“It is our collective responsibility to renew and expand the cross-border mechanism this summer. We support all modalities for the delivery of humanitarian assistance. This includes cross-line shipments, and we call on all parties to work constructively with the United Nations to facilitate cross-line deliveries,” US Ambassador Richard Mills added.

Moreover, the US Ambassador said, “the attack on the ISIS detention facility in Hasakah in January is a stark reminder that ISIS remains a dangerous threat and that the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS must continue its efforts.”

ISIS launched an attack on al-Sina'a prison on Jan 20., which currently holds between 3,000 and 3,500 suspected terrorists. The SDF announced on Jan 30 that they had completely re-secured the prison. During the attack, and in the ensuing struggle to re-establish order, 121 fighters, prison guards, and civilians lost their lives.

“We credit the Syrian Democratic Forces for swift action to spoil that attack and deny ISIS the reinforcements that it sought,” the US Ambassador added.

“The SDF took significant casualties in responding to this attack. We call on member states to take action to repatriate, rehabilitate, reintegrate, and prosecute, where appropriate, their nationals who remain in northeast Syria.”