US urges UN vote to approve more aid access to Syria through Türkiye

The United States has called for the United Nations Security Council to "vote immediately" to authorise the delivery of UN aid to opposition-held northwest Syria through more border crossings from Türkiye after last week's deadly earthquake.

Since 2014 the UN has been able to deliver aid to millions of people in need in the northwest part of war-torn Syria through Türkiye under a Security Council mandate. But it is currently restricted to using just one border crossing.

"Right now, every hour matters," Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, said in a statement, which Reuters published on Monday. 

"People in the affected areas are counting on us."

"We cannot let them down - we must vote immediately on a resolution to heed the UN's call for authorisation of additional border crossings for the delivery of humanitarian assistance," she said.

"It's time to move with urgency and purpose."

UN aid chief Martin Griffiths, who is in Türkiye and is due to visit Syria, earlier told Sky News that he would ask the Security Council to authorise aid access through two more border crossings, arguing there is "a very clear humanitarian case."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday pushed for more access.

READ MORE: Some European countries ease visa process for Türkiye, Syria quake victims

'Failed'

On the 15-member Security Council, Brazil and Switzerland have taken the lead on negotiating any action related to the Syria humanitarian aid access issue. Diplomats said no draft resolution has yet been circulated to authorise more crossings.

The death toll from the earthquake last week in Türkiye and Syria surpassed 36,000 midday on Monday.

A resolution would need nine votes in favour and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, Britain or France to pass. Russia has said that the existing council mandate for a single border crossing was sufficient.

The Syrian government views aid deliveries across its border without its approval as a violation of sovereignty and says aid should be delivered across the frontlines of the 12-year-old civil war. On Friday it approved aid deliveries across frontlines.

But the UN said on Sunday that earthquake aid from government-held parts of Syria into the northwest part of the country has been held up by "approval issues" with one hardline group.

READ MORE: 'Crisis within a crisis': Up to 5.3M in Syria may be homeless after quakes