Syria has long maintained that all aid to the country should flow through the government as the current mechanism violates its sovereignty and prolongs the war 

Around 70% of Syria’s population—over 15 million people—depends on humanitarian aid for their survival, according to the UN. The country’s economy has been severely hurt due to a decade-long war and sanctions imposed by the US and its allies, with the situation worsening since the disastrous earthquake in February

Damage caused by the unprovoked Israeli air strike made Damascus international airport non-operational for a few hours for the second time in under a year