NEW YORK - Russia and China vetoed a last-ditch attempt by Western members of the UN Security Council to extend approval - which expires on Friday - for humanitarian aid to be delivered across two border crossings into Syria from Turkey for the next six months.
Later on Friday the council voted on a Russian draft text to approve aid deliveries for one Turkish crossing for one year, but it failed after only garnering four votes in favour.The council has now unsuccessfully voted four times on the issue and Russia and China have cast two vetoes this week. It has now vetoed altogether 16 council resolutions on Syria since Syria's President Bashar al-Assad cracked down on protesters in 2011.The remaining 13 members voted in favour of the resolution, drafted by Germany and Belgium.
Russia and China argue that the UN authorisation violates Syria's sovereignty, and that aid can increasingly be channelled through Syrian authorities. According to Washington's ambassador to the UN, Kelly Craft, keeping only one border crossing open would cut off 1.3 million people living north of Aleppo from humanitarian aid.
In a report in June, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a one-year extension of the aid to include the two current access points.
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