Closure of Iraq-Syria Border Crossing Worries Aid Groups, Travelers

A vital border crossing between Iraq’s Kurdistan Region and Syria’s northeast remains closed one week after violent clashes broke out between supporters of a major Syrian Kurdish party and border guards on the Iraqi side.

According to the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), several shipments of essential supplies are stuck at the border.

The aid organization added that it “will continue advocating for humanitarian exemptions to allow lifesaving commodities to be sent to Syria and to facilitate the movement of international aid workers in and out of Syria.”