Russia Asks International Community To Step Up Humanitarian Aid In Syria

Russia’s defense minister is calling on the international community to step up its level of engagement in Syria and increase humanitarian relief operations, which are seen as necessary to stabilizing the massive refugee crisis.

“Russia is expecting humanitarian aid from international organizations for Syrian residents,” Russia’s defense minister Sergei Shoigu said on Rossiya 24 TV on Sunday.

Moscow believes the best way to route international humanitarian aid deliveries to Syria are through de-escalations zones, created in mainly opposition-held areas of the country.

"Bring aid to de-escalation zones, there everything is open. If you cannot bring it, we will bring it ourselves. But we cannot be both mom and dad, so, of course, we need support from humanitarian organizations, the United Nations,” Shoigu said.

Syria has been embroiled in a civil war since March 2011 that has resulted in more than 11 million Syrians fleeing their homes. With a population of over 17 million, roughly 13.5 million are in need of humanitarian assistance such as food, clothing and adequate shelter.

Russia, Turkey and Iran teamed up last December to invite Syrian opposition rebel factions and Syrian government representatives to come together in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, to find an achievable and sustainable peace. Five rounds of talks, dubbed the Astana process, have taken place thus far, the most recent held in mid-July.  

In May, a deal was reached during a round of the talks whereby four de-escalation zones would be established and Russia, Iran and Turkey would act as guarantors. The Russian government viewed their establishment as a necessary step to dividing the various warring factions inside Syria, which include terrorist organizations like Islamic State. 

Russian forces first entered Syria in September 2015, at the request of embattled Syrian President and ally Bashar al-Assad. Since that time, Moscow has provided tons of humanitarian relief, mostly comprised of food, including flour, sugar and canned goods. To date, the total number of humanitarian deliveries to Syria from Russia stands at 1,210, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

Since the start of the civil war in 2011, Moscow has officially supported the internationally recognized government of Assad. Russian military reinforcements have been the main driving force behind Assad’s troops, which are waging a war against terrorists but also rebel opposition units looking to topple Assad.

Neighboring countries including Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq have provided asylum to 4.8 million Syrians escaping the conflict, but 6.6 million are internally displaced within Syria. Germany and Sweden have absorbed the largest influx of Syrian refugees in Europe, having received more than 400,000 applications.