“This war has been going on for 10 years and ordinary Syrians are suffering. People are starving. Medical supplies are inadequate. The US is the largest humanitarian donor in the world. And this is the core value for the US to support Thomas-Greenfield in particular to CNN.
The new funding – the largest amount ever given by the US at this Syria conference in Brussels – comes as the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine continues to grow, with millions of refugees fleeing. fled the country due to Russian aggression.
“Support for Syria will not be affected in any way by what we are doing in Ukraine,” said Thomas-Greenfield.
There are growing concerns about keeping the Bab al-Hawa crossing from Turkey to Syria open, the only border currently open to humanitarian aid. A UN Security Council resolution to keep it open for a year is due to expire in July. The theme of this border crossing will be at the heart of the United Nations Security Council in the coming months.
Thomas-Greenfield on Tuesday called for that crosswalk to remain open, with the life-saving assistance it allows. She also called for expanded access to Syria for humanitarian assistance.
“This is a matter of life and death,” she said at the conference.
It is not clear whether Russia – which has resisted keeping border crossings open into Syria this time – is in favor of keeping the border open this time.
“We think it’s in Russia’s interest to keep the border crossing open,” Thomas-Greenfield told CNN, because otherwise you would have millions of people starving in Syria. And they are inside and the Syrian regime is responsible. That border crossing provides the necessary medicines, food, and water to the Syrians, not only at the border but also deep in Syrian territory. “
Thomas-Greenfield said that the US has provided assistance from Syrian-controlled areas of Syria to other parts of the country this year but reiterated that border crossings need to be open.
“We also advocated in our negotiations with the Russians last year, that we would provide humanitarian assistance across the line. The humanitarian assistance comes from Syrian-controlled areas to the areas. Syria. That has worked somewhat over the past year, but is no substitute for cross-border assistance,” she said.
