UK welcomes reopening of key northeast Syria-Kurdistan Region border crossing

The border crossing’s authority on Monday announced that operations at the point of entry between the two sides have resumed.
US soldiers patrol an area near Syria's northeastern Semalka border crossing with Iraq's Kurdistan Region, Nov. 21, 2021. (Photo: Delil Souleiman/AFP)
US soldiers patrol an area near Syria's northeastern Semalka border crossing with Iraq's Kurdistan Region, Nov. 21, 2021. (Photo: Delil Souleiman/AFP)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The United Kingdom on Thursday welcomed the reopening of the Fishkhabour/Semalka border crossing connecting Iraq’s Kurdistan Region with northeast Syria (Rojava) after its closure in late May.

The border crossing’s authority on Monday announced that operations at the point of entry between the two sides have resumed.

“The UK is relieved that the Faysh Khabour border crossing has re-opened after almost a month,” the British Consulate General in Erbil announced in a tweet on Thursday, urging all parties to work collaboratively in order to keep the gate open.

The border was closed in late May following tensions between the Region’s authorities and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), as the former accused northeastern Syria’s officials of breaching the previous agreements of cooperation regarding the border.

The border crossing serves as a vital humanitarian corridor into northeast Syria, where roughly three million people rely on international aid amid the ongoing civil war in the country that erupted in 2011.

“This vital access point for humanitarian actors in northeast Syria also plays an important role for local livelihoods,” the British diplomatic mission added.

The Kurdistan Region has consistently highlighted the significance of keeping the gate accessible and ensuring the provision of humanitarian services.