UN official praises Russia's help in Syria

John Ging, Director of Operations for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), praised Russia for its efforts to settle humanitarian aid access problems with Damascus, admitting that over the entire Syrian crisis period contacts with Russia had been very useful.

According to Ging, the United Nations Security Council will soon have to look at vesting humanitarian organizations with authorities to carry out the so-called "transborder operations" to be able to reach millions of Syrians who are in dire need across the country.

The United Nations, he said, has reached an impasse with the Syrian government on access for its aid workers to move across lines that are held by opposition fighters. He said the government will not allow them to cross these lines. Currently, all humanitarian cargoes are delivered to Damascus, from where they are distributed across the country.

Ging stressed that international humanitarian laws allow to deliver aid by whatever secure routes are available, but the Syrian government bans to do so. The United Nations Security Council, he said, is the body that has the powers to act when the humanitarian law is violated.

He said he hoped Russia would take the transborder operations request with understanding.