Why Syria is struggling to get aid after the earthquake

On 6 February 2023, a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern and central Turkey, as well as northern and western Syria, killing thousands of people and toppling residential buildings across the two countries.

Many international organisations and countries sent relief aid to Turkey and Syria. However, it is still difficult to send aid to Syria. Syria is struggling to get aid even after the destructive earthquake.

On Sunday, the United Nations said that the authorities were waiting for approval from the hardline group to send aid into the Opposition-controlled territory of Syria. The country is controlled by different groups, which makes it difficult for international organisations to send aid to Syria.

Reportedly, the northern regions of Syria have been shattered by over a decade of conflict. Most parts of Syria are under the control of the Damascus government. The relief aid is split between rebel areas and Damascus.

The northwest part of the country is divided between land de facto controlled by Turkey and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, while Syria’s northeast is mostly held by US-backed Kurdish-led groups.

Dr Mohammed Zaher Sahloul, president of the MedGlobal, told Arab News, “Syria is four Syrias. Each part is controlled by a different governing body and different entity.” Dr Mohammed said it became difficult to receive relief aid in Syria. The deep divisions were aggravated by the country's 12-year war.

The United States and European Union have also sanctioned Bashar Assad’s regime. In recent days, many ministers urged the US and EU to drop sanctions. Khaled Hboubati, the president of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), urged the US to lift sanctions on Syria. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Mao Ning, also urged the US to lift its sanctions on Syria. However, the US and EU officials are reluctant to do that. The officials said that sanctions have nothing to do with the aid. The officials also accused the Assad regime of manipulating the relief aid.

Earlier, Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the United Nations, said, “We have so far failed the people in northwest Syria. Looking for international help that hasn’t arrived.”

Earlier, the UN delivered aid to the northwest Idlib area of the country through a single crossing at Bab Al-Hawa.

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