Canada calls on all parties to allow humanitarian aid into Syria

OTTAWA, Dec 22 (MENA) – Canada voiced its disappointment from the veto used by China and Russia against a UNSC resolution that would have extended for a year cross-border humanitarian aid to four million Syrians.

Canadian Foreign Minister François-Philippe Champagne and International Development Minister Karina Gould said in a joint statement that vetoing the resolution would prevent millions of Syrians from access to the assistance they were in a dire need of.

The statement urged all the international parties to allow the aid into the war-torn country.

Humanitarian aid currently flows into Syria across UN-designated checkpoints without the formal permission of the regime in Damascus, but that authority is due to expire on January 10.

Germany, Belgium and Kuwait presented a resolution extending that authority for a year, winning the support of 13 council members but drawing the vetoes from Russia and China.