Last humanitarian aid crossing into Syria must stay open: Op-ed

On July 10, the cross-border humanitarian aid operations from Turkey to northwest Syria will expire, and a new United Nations Security Council vote will take place, deciding on the critical lifeline for around 4 million people reliant on cross-border assistance to meet their basic needs. In a collective voice, all humanitarians have been calling for the renewal of the decision, but the fate of millions in need stands as a divided agenda on the table of the U.N. Security Council.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, where millions of people globally are in need of urgent assistance, shutting the cross-border humanitarian operations will have devastating consequences with a heavy human toll. The Turkish Red Crescent (TRC), which is one of the humanitarian organizations providing large-scale assistance in the region, has been standing with the people in need in Syria since the onset of the humanitarian crises for providing protection and support to vulnerable communities.

The history of the humanitarian aid crossing into Syria from Turkey precedes the U.N. Security Council resolution and depicts a story of sharing, kindness and solidarity. The TRC was the first to respond in 2011 when the first group of Syrians sought asylum at the Idleb-Hatay border. The memories shine bright of Turkish citizens sending aid across the border to help those appealing for support in Syria.

We were also there when the first U.N. humanitarian trucks crossed into Syria, giving a sigh of relief that support was coming. It has now been a decade since the tragedy in Syria, but people are still suffering and in need of assistance. In the coming days, the decision of the U.N. Security Council will either be to exacerbate the suffering and pain of millions of people or...