The strong earthquake of magnitude 7.8 that hit southeast Turkey on Monday (6) also had huge effects on Syria, a country devastated by more than a decade of civil war whose most affected part was precisely that under the control of the rebels.
The earthquake left a balance of over 25,000 dead and 85,000 injured so far in both countries. In Syria alone, it is estimated that at least 3,500 people died, while more than 5,200 were injured.
But what has made the earthquake response enormously difficult is that there are still parts of Syria controlled by rebels and parts under the control of the government of President Bashar al Assad, accused of using chemical weapons. The two parties are engaged in an armed conflict.
Delivery of urgent supplies to these areas is uneven: only two United Nations aid convoys have entered rebel-held northwestern Syria through Turkey’s only authorized border crossing since Monday’s earthquake. , while the Assad government received shipments of aid from countries around the world.
Meanwhile, nearly 11 million people have been affected by the catastrophe in Syria, according to the UN.
There are also 3.6 million Syrian refugees, according to Human Rights Watch data, most settled on the border between Turkey and Syria and who were affected by the earthquake.
Syrian president criticizes the West
In his first comments since the earthquake, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told reporters that Western countries “have no regard for the human condition”.
Assad and his wife, Asma, toured several sites affected by the earthquake and visited survivors at a hospital in Aleppo, according to images released by state news agency SANA.
A State media and Syrian government officials blamed the lack of humanitarian aid and the impediment of rescuers on US and European Union sanctions.
The US reiterated that the sanctions do not apply to humanitarian efforts and, on Friday (10), the US Treasury Department issued a “General License” authorizing for 180 days “all transactions related to post-war relief ”.
The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the US Treasury’s decision a move designed to give a “false impression of humanity,” according to SANA.
Meanwhile, the World Food Program (WFP) is calling for increased access to earthquake-affected Syrian territories to replenish aid supplies that have been depleted, David Beasley, director of the program, said in a statement to the CNN .
“The stocks we have are rapidly running out, especially ready-to-eat feeds, and need to be replenished quickly. To do that, we need access,” Beasley said.
In the past, aid entered northwest Syria via Turkey at the Bab Al Hawa border crossing, the only entry point authorized by UN Security Council resolutions.
A resolution proposing more border openings between Turkey and Syria was vetoed by Russia and China.
WFP aims to provide ready meals to 100,000 people in northwest Syria and provide regular rations to 1.4 million people with partners ready for distribution.
“Northwest Syria is catastrophe after catastrophe,” Beasley said.
The Syrian government approved on Friday the sending of aid to the rebel territory in the northwest of the country, according to a statement, but gave no deadlines.
Syrian authorities have repeatedly claimed the government is “prepared” to send aid to rebel-held territories, but no aid has flowed from government territories since Monday’s earthquake.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
