UN admits: 'We have failed the people in northwest Syria'
UN humanitarian chief says millions of Syrians are suffering as the disaster relief lags behind.
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Martin Griffiths, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator (AP)
The UN announced on Sunday that the international community has so far abandoned Syrians as they struggle to secure basic needs and aid to respond to the devastating earthquake that struck the country on Monday.
UN's Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, said that although a convoy of supplies was delivered by the organization to northwest Syria through Turkey, the effort was not enough as millions more have been impacted by the catastrophe.
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"We have so far failed the people in northwest Syria. They rightly feel abandoned. Looking for international help that hasn't arrived," Griffiths said on Twitter.
At the #Türkiye-#Syria border today.
— Martin Griffiths (@UNReliefChief) February 12, 2023
We have so far failed the people in north-west Syria.
They rightly feel abandoned. Looking for international help that hasn’t arrived.
My duty and our obligation is to correct this failure as fast as we can.
That’s my focus now.
"My duty and our obligation is to correct this failure as fast as we can. That’s my focus now," he added.
The recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria have killed over 33,000 people and caused a severe humanitarian crisis in the latter, which is already dealing with the aftermath of a decade-long war.
Sanctions obstructing relief efforts in Syria
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that sanctions on Syria should not be impeding relief efforts in the quake-struck country.
"This is a moment in which everybody has to make very clear that no sanctions of any kind interfere with relief to the population of Syria in the present moment," Guterres said at a briefing.
"People are facing nightmare on top of nightmare," Guterres added, noting that the lack of aid materials to assist with relief efforts was also a serious issue.
Read more: Exclusive: US sanctions preventing Syria from receiving aid - FM
The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, also told reporters in Geneva on February 9 that "Emergency response must not be politicized," noting that aid is needed to get to state-controlled areas, as well as those controlled by militants.
The Security Council will likely meet in a few days to discuss the situation in Syria, while Guterres urged the council to allow the opening of new border access points between Turkey and Syria to transport aid into the northwestern part of the country.
At the #Türkiye-#Syria border today.
— Martin Griffiths (@UNReliefChief) February 12, 2023
We have so far failed the people in north-west Syria.
They rightly feel abandoned. Looking for international help that hasn’t arrived.
My duty and our obligation is to correct this failure as fast as we can.
That’s my focus now.
Worldwide calls to lift US sanctions on Syria
According to a CGTN poll, approximately 94.29% of respondents called for the immediate lifting of US sanctions to aid humanitarian efforts.
Moreover, On CGTN's English-language platforms, 94.52% of respondents are dissatisfied with the US sanctions and believe they should be lifted unconditionally. Approximately 87.35% and 95.62% of respondents on CGTN's Arabic and Spanish platforms, respectively, agree.
Militants obstruct aid access
A convoy carrying aid from the Syrian government was preparing to enter Idlib through the Saraqib border crossing and was waiting for UN representatives to hand over the relief aid to Idlib.
This comes after Damascus announced that it was willing to send aid into the country's north, which is held by various armed groups and terrorist organizations, in particular the terrorist HTS group.
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."
Read more: Turkey-Syria earthquake death toll to top 50,000 UN warns
"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.
While the government's disaster relief was supposed to enter Idlib on Monday, the United Nations Office in Damascus asked on Saturday the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to postpone the entry of the aid convoy to Idlib.
A United Nations spokesperson revealed on Sunday that the Turkish-backed Hay'at Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) terrorist organization - previously Al-Nusra Front (Al-Qaeda in Syria) - is holding up aid meant for Syria's north.
Millions lacking basic meals
According to UN estimates, at least 870,000 people across Syria and Turkey are lacking meals, while almost 5.3 million became homeless in Syria alone.
The WHO also said that around 26 million people were affected by the natural disaster, calling for the allocation of $42.8 million to respond to their [people] basic needs.
Over 32,000 individuals from Turkish organizations and 8,294 people from international ones are carrying out field rescue missions in the country, according to Turkey's disaster agency.
Syria's Transport Ministry said 62 aid planes had landed in Syria this week with more on the way in the coming days, in particular from Saudi Arabia.
Turkey cracks down on destruction-related negligence
The Justice Ministry has started instructing local prosecutors to establish "Earthquake Crime Investigation Departments" in the 10 provinces where a state of emergency has been declared, a Turkish media outlet said.
The Turkish authorities have charged at least 14 people with negligence, manslaughter, and building code violations amid a popular demand for accountability in light of the devastating earthquake that hit the country earlier in the week.
Authorities have started arresting over 100 contractors, architects, and engineers who had a hand in the construction of buildings that began collapsing starting Monday after the massive earthquake hit Turkey.
Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay said Saturday that the police have so far identified 131 suspects who played a role in the construction of the structures that collapsed.
Oktay revealed that detention orders have already been issued for 113 of them, with more than ten being imprisoned already over charges of building code violations and reckless manslaughter, among other charges.
