U.N. Security Council to Vote on Resolution Extending Cross-Border Aid Delivery

The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to vote Wednesday on a resolution extending cross-border delivery of humanitarian aid to Syrians in opposition-held territory without government approval, the AP reports.

The resolution would extend until Jan 10, 2016, the authorization for U.N. and aid agencies to deliver aid across conflict lines, through four border crossings: one in Jordan, two in Turkey and one in Iraq

If security conditions had permitted, U.N. aid trucks would have been able to reach 2.9 million people through the four crossings; however, the number of people who have benefited from the aid delivery according to the terms of the resolution is only in the thousands.

In a speech to the Security Council this week, U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos accused the warring parties in Syria of ignoring Security Council demands to protect civilians and urged the Security Council to ensure compliance.

An estimated 12.2 million Syrians are displaced inside Syria, while 4.5 million live in hard-to-reach areas, and another 212,000 are currently living in areas under military siege.

Syrian Government Sends Delegation to Tehran to Secure Iranian Oil Supplies

The Syrian government sent a high-level delegation to Tehran for talks with Iranian officials on securing oil imports from Iran as winter approaches, Reuters reports

Syrian oil production, currently under U.S. and E.U. sanctions, has dropped dramatically since the onset of the conflict. Islamist groups, most recently the Islamic State, have taken over many major energy installations in Syria

Iran and Syria, who are close strategic allies, discussed “the provision of petroleum products by ensuring the regular arrival of oil tankers into Syrian ports,” according to Syrian state news agency SANA.

“In July last year Iran granted Syria a $3.6 billion credit facility to buy oil products,” Reuters reports. Following a meeting last week in Tehran, Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said that Iran, along with Russia, is working on a political solution for the Syrian conflict “based on dialogue between Syrians and without any outside intervention.”

Recommended Reads:

• BBC: The Strange Normality of Life in the Middle of Syria’s War
• Reuters: Russia Optimistic on Syria Peace Talks Early Next Year
• McClatchy: Islamists Rout Syrian Government Troops, Reflecting the War’s Complexities
• New York Times: A Desert War on ISIS, Fought from a Floating City
• Human Rights Watch: Making Local Cease-fires Work