The General Director of the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), Basem Mansour, has confirmed that all Syrian airports in Damascus, Aleppo, and Latakia, are ready to give landing permissions for support planes coming from all countries and to receive aid aimed to alleviate the suffering of the affected areas and limit the effects of the disaster.

The airports operate around the clock and readiness has been raised within the emergency team that was formed to facilitate the work of airplanes, Mansour pointed out in an exclusive statement to Sputnik, noting that the planes coming to Syria to provide assistance to those affected by the earthquake are the ones to choose the airport.

The SCAA Director General revealed that the countries that have started sending aid planes to Syria so far are: UAE, Russia, Iran, India, Pakistan, Armenia, Algeria, Iraq, Oman, Egypt, Venezuela, Jordan, Libya, and Tunisia; more than 30 flights have arrived in Syria over the past three days, he added.

Read next: Western selective humanitarianism, Syria earthquake falls on deaf ears

He pointed out that the first three flights that landed in Damascus came from Russia, Iran, and Iraq, while an lL-76 plane belonging to the Russian Ministry of Emergencies landed in Latakia International Airport, carrying 50 people specialized in rescue operations. The rescue team was equipped with the necessary equipment needed for the search and rescue operations of people under the rubble.

The aviation authorities granted their approval for the passage of Russian aircraft through their airspace, Mansour pointed out.

Algeria sent four flights to Aleppo International Airport, carrying teams from the Algerian Civil Protection and the Algerian Red Crescent, in addition to a plane of medical and food aid for those affected, while Iran sent aid planes to Latakia Airport.

محافظة #اللاذقية تواصل عمليات رفع الأنقاض والإغاثة بمساعدة فرق إنقاذ روسية وعربية

تقرير: محمد الخضر#الزلزال_المدمر
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— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) February 9, 2023

The death toll of the devastating earthquake that hit Syria has reached more than 3,162, and the search and rescue efforts are still ongoing in search of survivors.

Earlier today, the Spokesperson for Near and Middle East International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Imene Trabelsi, called on "the world to reconsider its approach to the humanitarian crisis in Syria," pointing out to "the crippling effect of sanctions and their impact on Syrian citizens."

Today, Syrians do not only need a box of food or wound dressing materials, they need water, electricity, rehabilitation, and roads, Trabelsi noted.