Radicals loot aid shipped to Syria from Turkey: Russian military
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Russian military official says that according to data, members of radical bandit gangs have looted supplies of humanitarian aid coming from the Turkish territory.
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Trucks with aid for Syria follow a UN vehicle at the Turkish crossing point of Cilvegozu, in Reyhanli, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023 (AP)
Members of radical bandit gangs are looting supplies of humanitarian aid shipped from Turkey to Syrian citizens, Rear Adm. Oleg Gurinov, the deputy head of the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of Warring Parties in Syria, told a briefing on Tuesday.
"According to the data received by the Center for the Reconciliation of Warring Parties from people living in settlements in the Idlib de-escalation zone, there are cases where members of radical bandit gangs have looted supplies of humanitarian aid coming from the Turkish territory," Gurinov said.
Syrians affected by February's massive earthquakes are further receiving humanitarian aid, the Russian military official noted, adding that following the disaster, 176 humanitarian operations have been carried out.
A few days ago, donors pledged seven billion euros to aid Turkey and Syria recover from the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake.
A conference hosted in the EU was arranged to generate funds six weeks after the earthquake struck, killing 55,000 people across Turkey and Syria.
Although the conference was meant for sending aid to both Syria and Turkey, the Syrian administration was not even invited to the event.
Read: Western selective humanitarianism, Syria earthquake falls on deaf ears
The Foreign Ministry in Damascus said it "deplores" the conference which took place in Brussels as it did not involve Syrian authorities.
Also days ago, the Syrian Red Crescent reported about armed groups that control Idlib preventing relief aid convoys from entering the area.
It is noteworthy that rescue groups rushed to Turkey while ignoring sanctioned Syria's call for help. Humanitarian organizations faced major hurdles attempting to reach stricken areas in northern Syria, as militants prevented the entry of any convoys.
Earlier this month, an UN-appointed commission of investigation blamed the United Nations and other parties for delays in bringing humanitarian relief to Syrians.
Among the parties, the UN pointed out was the Syrian government although it was the Turkish-backed, rebranded Al-Nusra Front (Al-Qaeda in Syria), Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) terrorist organization that was holding up aid meant for Syria and sent in the wake of the devastating earthquake, as per a UN spokesperson.
As a matter of fact, Damascus expressed its readiness and willingness to send aid to the country's north, which is held by various armed groups and terrorist organizations, knowing that the North is largely under the control of the terrorist HTS group.
The independent three-member panel set up to investigate and record all violations of international law since March 2011 in Syria admitted that the actors failed to permit life-saving help via any accessible channel, particularly for rescue teams during the critical first week.
On his account, the Chair of the Commission Paulo Pinheiro said, “Though there were many acts of heroism amid the suffering, we also witnessed a wholesale failure by the international community, including the United Nations, to rapidly direct life-saving support to Syrians in the most dire need.”
The statement added that halting hostilities failed, thus impeding life-saving relief through any accessible path, leaving Syrians feeling "abandoned and neglected by those supposed to protect them, in the most desperate of circumstances."
