ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. says the closure of the last remaining humanitarian border crossing into Syria could cause “senseless cruelty.” Speaking to reporters at the end of a three-day visit to Turkey, Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Friday renewed a call for the U.N. Security Council to extend authorization for the delivery of cross-border humanitarian assistance to Syria. Russia has limited cross-border transfers of humanitarian aid in recent years, insisting that the Syrian government should control all assistance to the millions of Syrians in need. On Thursday, the U.S. ambassador visited the Bab al-Hawa crossing at the Turkey-Syria border. It’s the sole remaining access point for humanitarian aid to enter conflict-ravaged Syria.
