Permission granted: Syria to Saudi airlines asking to land in Damascus

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen Net + Agencies
11 Feb 2023 23:52
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Saudi Arabia joins the list of other countries offering aid to disaster-stricken Syria.

A convoy of Saudi aid for disaster-stricken Syria and Turkey (Social Media)

The Saudi Red Crescent requested permission, today, Saturday, to land a plane loaded with aid for the Syrian people affected by the earthquake at Damascus International Airport.

The head of the Syrian Civil Aviation Authority Basem Mansour confirmed that the Saudi Red Crescent requested permission to land an aid plane at Damascus airport, which was granted.

Earlier today, Saudi Arabia brought in 11 relief trucks loaded with food and shelter materials provided by the King Salman Relief Center for distribution in the crisis-stricken Syrian regions.

عبور 11 شاحنة إغاثية منفذ غصن الزيتون تحمل مواد غذائية وإيوائية مقدَّمة من مركز الملك سلمان للإغاثة لتوزيعها في المناطق السورية المتضررة من الزلزال.https://t.co/mXkjzwMJB8 #واس_عام pic.twitter.com/SRtwwHAPW4
— واس العام (@SPAregions) February 11, 2023

The trucks passed through Al-Hamam village crossing in Jindires district in Afrin.

UN Damascus office requests postponing aid delivery to Idlib

The United Nations Office in Damascus asked today, Saturday, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to postpone the entry of the aid convoy to Idlib, the governorate outside the Syrian state control, which was scheduled for tomorrow.

A convoy carrying Syrian aid is preparing to enter Idlib through the Saraqib border crossing and is currently waiting for UN representatives to hand over the relief aid to Idlib, Syrian informed sources told Al Mayadeen on Thursday.

If international organizations are late, Syria will not hesitate to deliver this aid by itself to help the disaster-stricken people, sources said. "The negotiations were fruitful, and aid is on the way."

Yesterday, the governor of Idlib, Thaer Salhab, confirmed that the Syrian state is ready to let convoys of humanitarian aid into the areas affected by the earthquake in the northwest of Idlib governorate, at any moment, after the other side opens the crossings and allows their entry.

Salhab said coordination is currently underway with the United Nations and international organizations to let in convoys with teams from the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and the International Red Cross.

According to Al Mayadeen sources, the UAE side had been negotiating for the past three days with Idlib armed groups to open the crossings, regarding the entry of aid, but the latter refused.

However, "the armed groups were finally convinced with an aid convoy making it into Idlib through the Syrian Red Crescent and international organizations in Syria," the sources added.

"The armed groups want to garner international support for themselves alone under the pretext that the Syrian government would not allow aid to make it into their areas," the sources concluded.