Sharjah 24 – AFP: Syria has extended by another three months border crossings from Turkey into rebel-held areas that had been reopened following a devastating February earthquake, the United Nations said Tuesday.
It is the second three-month extension by Syria of use by UN humanitarian workers to the Bab al-Salam and Al-Rai crossings, opened after the earthquake following international pressure.
"We greatly welcome the extension of permission by the Government of Syria to utilise the Bab al-Salam and Al Rai border crossings until November 13," said Eri Kaneko, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The February 6 quake in Turkey and war-ravaged Syria killed more than 55,000 people and left thousands in border areas even more reliant on international assistance.
The latest move stands in contrast to the failure to extend a separate key aid route into Syria -- the Bab al-Hawa crossing from Turkey.
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