THE United Nations security council on Tuesday failed to renew authorisation of the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syria’s rebel-held north-west from neighbouring Turkey.

This officially ended a UN operation that had been vital to helping a region of 4.1 million people.

The council failed to adopt either of two rival resolutions to authorise further deliveries through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing, where the latest six-month mandate expired on Monday.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad opened two additional crossing points from Turkey at Bab al-Salameh and al-Rai to increase the flow of assistance to victims of the devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake that ravaged north-western Syria and southern Turkey on February 8. 

He extended their operation for three months in May until August 13, and the UN said it will continue to use those crossings to deliver aid.

But UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters that 85 per cent of UN aid to the north-west went by truck through Bab al-Hawa, closest to those in need, and are “not going to be able to match that” amount through the two crossings still available. 

Mr Dujarric said UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres “calls on all security council members to redouble their efforts to support the continued delivery of cross-border assistance.”

Syria’s north-western province of Idlib is home to about 4.1 million people, and is ruled by a coalition of jihadist groups under Turkish military protection. 

Hundreds of thousands of people in Idlib live in tent settlements and rely on aid that comes through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing.

The earthquake caused more than 4,500 deaths in north-west Syria and about 855,000 people had their homes damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.