Parties involved in providing assistance to victims of the earthquake in northwest Syria blame each other for the lack of assistance.
A civil war has been going on in Syria for 12 years. Parts of the north are under rebel control. The roads leading from Turkey to these regions were damaged in the earthquake. For this reason, aid to the rebels’ areas must pass through the areas under Assad’s control. The lack of this help is criticized.
The UN reported today that a rebel group blocked supplies. A spokesperson for this group told Reuters they would not accept aid from government territory and would only allow aid from Turkey. The UN office in Damascus said the UN was holding talks with “all parties involved” to occupy rebel-held areas.
The EU envoy to Syria denies accusations that the EU is not doing enough to help victims of the earthquake in Syria. In doing so, it is responding to criticism from China and Russia that Western sanctions against the Assad regime are blocking aid.
EU envoy Dan Stoenescu said the EU and individual member states have spent more than 50m euros on rescue missions and emergency aid, both in government and rebel territory. “It’s absolutely unfair to say that we haven’t been helping out for more than a decade, and even after the earthquake, while we’re doing this.”
The EU wants assurances from the Syrian government that aid will reach the right places. “We urge the authorities in Damascus to refrain from providing political aid and cooperate in good faith with humanitarian organizations and the United Nations,” said EU envoy Stoenescu. said.
Tedros, Head of the World Health Organization, visited the government-owned city of Aleppo yesterday. He described the situation there as deplorable. The latest update on the death toll in Syria came on Friday, when 3,500 deaths were reported from there.
The Turkish Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation into violations of the zoning regulation. 131 people are on the wanted list or have already been arrested. Two of them were arrested at Istanbul Airport. They wanted to go to Georgia.
In the tremors that occurred last Monday, new sites in Turkey completely collapsed. President Erdogan is accused of continuing to build unsafe buildings during his 20 years as Prime Minister and President.
UN Vice President Marin Griffiths praised the Erdogan government for the measures taken. There are many criticisms of the slow start of relief efforts, but in Griffith’s experience, earthquake survivors are always disappointed when aid is lacking.
survivor
A girl was pulled alive from under the building that collapsed 6 days after the earthquakes in Hatay. Two hours later, a Romanian rescue team managed to rescue another 35-year-old man. “He’s healthy,” one of the Romanian rescuers said. “Get me out of here quick, I’m claustrophobic,” she said.
According to Turkey, 80,000 people were hospitalized after the earthquake.
no visa for holland
The Netherlands currently does not issue visas to earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. Foreign Minister Hoekstra said on WNL on Sunday. Germany is doing it, it was announced yesterday, Belgium also has plans in this direction.
MP Piri said PvdA believes the Netherlands should do the same. According to him, people who have family or friends in the Netherlands should stay here temporarily.
“You have to explore everything,” Hoekstra said of the idea. “But first I want to understand what the Germans and Belgians are doing.”
Source: NOS
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
