"Luckily this decision means millions of people are not cut off from vital, life-saving humanitarian aid. A completely unavoidable and unnecessary humanitarian catastrophe has been avoided. Millions would have been at risk of death and further misery had cross-border aid into Syria been stopped, at a time when humanitarian needs are growing.

"However, we are disappointed that the calls of the humanitarian community and the people in Northern Syria were ignored and the aid border crossing of al Yarubiyah and Bab as Salaam were not renewed.

"We dearly hope that we do not end up in this situation once again in 12 months time, where over 3 million people are left staring into the abyss of poverty and death."