The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) agreed Friday to extend cross-border aid deliveries into Syria for another 12 months. The UN mandate enabling the deliveries was set to expire on Saturday.

The 12-month extension was made possible by an unspecified last-minute compromise involving Russia, which has veto powers as a permanent member of the UNSC and had voiced opposition to the extension.

The UN mandate, originally established by a UN resolution in 2014, is subject to annual renewal.

Recently, Russia a steadfast ally of the Syrian regime used its power in the Security Council to close three of the four border crossings the UN had used to transport food and medical supplies into the country. 

Friday's unanimous approval of the extension came as observers warned of the humanitarian catastrophe that would ensue should the last border crossing at Bab al-Hawa in northwestern Syria, be closed something that Russia had said it wanted.

Two different proposals had been floated before Friday's vote, one from Norway and Ireland calling for a 12-month extension and another from Russia that called for a 6-month extension. Moreover, Russia had proposed that all aid first be sent to the capitol Damascus and then distributed by the authoritarian regime of Syrian dictator Bashar Assad.

(With input from agencies)