The February 6 earthquake has already caused more than 5,800 deaths in Syria (and 41,000 in Turkey). But the areas affected by the tremor in Syria are divided between territories opposing dictator Bashar al-Assad or controlled by the government. This division has led to greater lack of humanitarian aid in northwest Syria, especially in the provinces of Idlib and Aleppo.
Allegations of blockages of access across Umm Jalud, on the border between Syria and Turkey, have been reported since the earthquake. A convoy of the self-proclaimed Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), led by the Kurds, managed only last Monday (13) to enter the region with 53 trucks loaded with supplies after obtaining the release of Turkish militias. These items were donated by the population of the northeast region of Syria.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also intends to bring aid to northwest Syria, also having to obtain the necessary authorizations. UN humanitarian aid managed to reach these locations just four days after the earthquakes, especially due to the difficulty of access due to the only route being the Bab al Hawa border post, which connects Idlib and Turkey.
This route, in addition to presenting logistical difficulties, is still occupied by troops linked to the dictatorial regime in Syria. The UN has been trying to expand access to humanitarian aid in the country, but has encountered resistance in the Security Council, especially Russia, al-Assad’s main ally, which insists that operations must be initiated within Syrian territory and not outside. from other countries such as Turkey.
“Until now, we have failed the people of northwest Syria. They are right to feel abandoned, looking for international help that has not yet arrived,” says UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths.
Last Friday (17), the UN asked for the creation of an international fund to support Turkey. With an estimated value of US$ 1 billion, the amounts collected should help the population in terms of food, protection, education, water and shelter. The United Nations estimates that 5.2 million people should be impacted.
As of this writing, the UN had not announced its intention to create a similar emergency fund for Syria.
Entities work in humanitarian aid to opponents of the dictatorship
With the difficulty of the arrival of humanitarian aid from the UN and other countries in the northwest region of Syria, the work to help the local population even before the earthquake has been carried out mostly by non-governmental entities, such as Portas Abertas and Médico Sem Borders.
Open Doors is a non-governmental organization that promotes aid to Christians persecuted for their faith around the world. In Syria, the entity has been working with churches and other sector organizations to develop 16 Centers of Hope. These locations allow food distribution, medical assistance, post-trauma counseling, vocational training and financial aid to the needy population.
“An earthquake of this size and gravity takes everyone by surprise. In addition to physical and emotional trauma, the Syrian population is faced with a lack of food, clean water, shelter, disappearance and death of family and friends. Within this context, all the help coming from Organizations, churches, foreign institutions is of paramount importance. The lack of communication, road closures and lack of electricity only makes the situation worse and often prevents help from reaching the most affected places or the most vulnerable people”, explains Marco Cruz, secretary general of Portas Abertas in Brazil .
According to Open Doors, victims of earthquakes in northwestern Syria have found refuge in local churches. In the province of Latakia, a temple has housed a thousand people.
“Portas Abertas is mobilizing the sending of resources so that the work of local churches can continue in the region. The need for shelter, blankets and sleeping bags is beyond the capacity of our partners and local churches. In addition, the fear of new tremors keeps people in a panic”, adds Cruz.
Doctors Without Borders has been active for more than a decade in the northwest region of Syria and has been trying to obtain authorization to work in other areas. The entity points out that 4 million people live in these locations, with a greater need for electricity, basic sanitation and access to medication and health care, which was even greater after the earthquake.
“One of the problems in this region is that there are obstacles to the entry of humanitarian aid, which meant that the hospitals in the area were already out of supply even before the earthquake. Most humanitarian organizations operating in the region have had to use the stocks they had to meet immediate needs, and a regular flow of supplies needs to be re-established”, points out Leanne Neale, director of fundraising at MSF-Brasil.
The entity has 11 mobile clinics in the region, having carried out 1 million consultations, 18,000 natural deliveries and cesarean sections and 12,000 surgeries, with more than 60,000 Syrian families impacted. After the earthquake, the organization sent medical teams and ambulances to the affected areas, in addition to building mobile clinics to help the injured.
“Preliminary numbers referring to donations received in 2022 indicate that we raised around R$280 million for our projects in Brazil and also internationally. In emergency situations, like the one we are dealing with now, we promote collections via the emergency fund in order to be able to respond more immediately to the strong demand for resources”, continues Neale.
To learn more about the work of these organizations and also to assist in humanitarian aid to victims in Syria, visit the website of the Open doors It’s from Doctors Without Borders.
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