The Weaponization of Humanitarian Aid: The Legal and Political Implications of a Security Council Veto on Cross-Border Aid in Syria
In the midst of armed conflicts, humanitarian aid occupies a pivotal position as a tool to alleviate human suffering and ensure a minimum level of dignity for affected civilians. However, this aid often turns into an arena of legal and political conflict between international and regional parties, where humanitarian necessities intersect with sovereign interests and geopolitical considerations. The Syrian crisis is a stark example of this complexity; more than thirteen years of armed conflict have created an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with millions displaced and the near-total collapse of infrastructure, making cross-border aid an indispensable necessity to save lives.