Turkish-backed opposition refuses aid from SDF areas
The first UN aid arrived on Thursday to areas held by the Syrian opposition.
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Turkish-backed Syrian opposition has refused to accept aid from areas under control of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
Abdurrahman Mustafa, the Prime Minister of the Syrian opposition’s Interim government, on Thursday blamed the international countries' delay in sending aid as the main reason why aid has not entered northern Syria to force them to accept aid from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). “This is not acceptable.”
The first UN aid arrived on Thursday to areas held by the Syrian opposition.
The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) said it has attempted to deliver humanitarian relief to those affected by the earthquake in Afrin and Idlib, but the Turkish-backed opposition blocked the attempt.
Riyad Dirar, co-chair of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC) told the local North Press agency that the Interim Government and [Syrian National] Coalition rejected to receive aid from northeast Syria “via an agreed crossing and demand aid be sent through commissioned crossings with Turkey.”
A delegation of the Autonomous Administration (AANES) in a tweet on Friday said that the lines of communication are still open, but they are waiting “a response from the other side to enter the humanitarian aid convoy into northern and western Syria.”
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reports that the AANES convoy includes nearly 100 tanks of fuel, to operate the machinery in the affected areas and were waiting approval to cross through the Um Jeloud crossing, in the north-eastern countryside of Aleppo..
However, SOHR said Turkish-backed factions blocked the humanitarian aid convoy, because they received no Turkish instructions to allow the entry of the aid convoy.