US rejects Russian plan for Syria ceasefire at UN Security Council

March 07, 2020

Russia and Turkey agreed on a ceasefire for Syria, but the agreement failed to get the backing of the UN Security Council on Friday. A ceasefire endorsement proposed by Russia was rejected when the United States, which is one of the five countries with veto power on the Council.

Russian ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, had asked the other 14 Security Council members to adopt the agreement, but the United States rejected it saying it and called the deal “premature.” Some European nations welcomed the proposal but wanted to amend the statement.

Read more: Europe faces ‘serious decision’ on refugees amid Idlib catastrophe

Opposition from “one delegation”

Nebenzia said Russia wanted to issue a press statement afterward, “but due to the position of one delegation, it was not possible.”

Several diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because the meeting was closed, said that was a reference to the United States. But they added that Russia was unwilling to negotiate on proposals made by France and the United Kingdom.

German Ambassador Christoph Heusgen said, “We have to see if this will work. We are concerned about the millions of people who are suffering there and we would [like to] see that this ceasefire leads to a kind of safe zones where people can go back to and they can survive.”

Aerial view taken on December 8, 2019 shows ruins of a neighborhood in Al-Bara in Syria's Idlib province (AFP/O. H. Kadour)

A ceasefire for Idlib largely held for at least the first 24 hours

He also said Germany and Britain were prepared to provide extra aid, but that they would require an agreement that was real.

British Ambassador Karen Pierce also welcomed the ceasefire, but said that a lot needed to be ironed out before it came into action.

“Who will monitor it? What is happening west of Aleppo? And critically has the Syrian government formally signed up, and will the Syrian government be following the provisions of the ceasefire?” she said.

Read more: Idlib: ‘I’d rather suffer bombs than Assad’

Ceasefire holding

The skies over Idlib, the last rebel stronghold, were calm on Friday as Russian and Syrian warplanes stopped firing since midnight Thursday for the first time in three months. Many citizens have been internally displaced or have fled to the borders to escape the attacks.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad approved the ceasefire in a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This is not the first ceasefire for the province of Idlib. The last remaining rebel stronghold has been battered with attacks. Nearly a million people have been displaced in three months. Attacks by Russian-backed Assad troops against rebels supported by Turkey have created a major humanitarian crisis that has seen some 1 million people flee for the Syrian-Turkish border.

The war in Syria, which began nearly nine years ago, has killed more than 380,000 people and displaced half of the country’s population.

Syria’s Idlib: A humanitarian disaster

On the run

Traffic is heavy on the roads heading north through the Idlib region toward the Turkish border. Soldiers of the Assad regime are advancing from the south and east, aided by their Russian and Iranian allies. Some Syrian rebel groups are supported by Turkey, which also has soldiers of its own in the region. But ordinary people just want to reach safety.

Syria’s Idlib: A humanitarian disaster

‘Horror has multiplied’

Almost 1 million people have been displaced since December. According to UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock, “the horror has multiplied” in the past two weeks. The front lines are closing in, triggering large movements of people in the space of just a few days. Assad wants to drive the civilian population out of Idlib province, and is moving to capture this last rebel stronghold.

Syria’s Idlib: A humanitarian disaster

Bombed to pieces

Maaret al-Numan and the surrounding area has been particularly badly hit by the attacks. The city has been bombed to pieces and is practically deserted. The important M5 highway runs through here, from Damascus via Aleppo to the Turkish border. Most of those fleeing are trying to make it to Turkey — but the border is closed.

Syria’s Idlib: A humanitarian disaster

Waiting at the border

Around 100 people, including 35 children, died in bombings in the first half of February alone, according to the United Nations, which has spoken of the “blatant disregard for the life and safety of civilians.” This family fled to the Turkish border months ago. They’re living in the Kafr Lusin refugee camp, holding on to the hope that Turkey will eventually let them in.

Syria’s Idlib: A humanitarian disaster

500,000 children in need

Out of the almost 1 million people who have fled it’s estimated that around half are children. Of the rest, the majority are women. There aren’t enough shacks at the Turkish border to house them all, and many refugees are living in tents. Camps are often set up in haste and are severely overcrowded. People are sleeping in doorways and on pieces of cardboard, sometimes in sub-zero temperatures.

Syria’s Idlib: A humanitarian disaster

Little food and medicine

Those who have been able to find a tent usually share it with about a dozen family members. Medicine is running out in many of the camps, and basic food and clothing is also becoming scarce. Doctors on the ground report that many children are suffering from malnutrition, and some are even dying of starvation. The cold is also taking its toll, and some people have already frozen to death.

Syria’s Idlib: A humanitarian disaster

Refuge in a school

Many children in the region can no longer go to school, so some school buildings have been repurposed. This school has been turned into a refugee shelter — sometimes, even the refugee camps are targeted in bombing raids.

Syria’s Idlib: A humanitarian disaster

Trying to reach safety

The illegal route across the border to Turkey is costly; hardly anyone can afford it. Smugglers are charging people up to $2,000 (about €1,800). Those who do make the attempt are risking their lives: Turkish border guards have thermal imaging cameras to help them spot people trying to cross. Sometimes they shoot at refugees who try to climb over the wall.

Syria’s Idlib: A humanitarian disaster

Looking for dignity

The UN has said the situation in Idlib could be the greatest humanitarian disaster of the 21st century. No one knows whether or not there will be a ceasefire. The refugees don’t care who puts an end to the war; they just want a life of safety and dignity, for themselves and for their children. A four-way summit between Turkey, Russia, France and Germany, planned for March 5, is now in jeopardy.

Author: Diana Hodali