February 13th, United Nations Security Council held a closed-door meeting to discuss ways to increase assistance to Syria after last week’s earthquake disaster amid growing calls for the border to be opened to deliver aid to the country.
At the meeting, the head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Martin Griffiths read the report on humanitarian issues after a visit to Turkey and Syria over the weekend.
Sharing on Twitter, he emphasized the efforts humanitarian aid in Northwest Syria has not met the actual needs, and at the same time, calls on the international community to quickly make up for this shortfall.
[Các trường học tại Syria vắng hẳn tiếng cười sau thảm họa động đất]
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on the morning of February 6, killing about 37,000 people, more than 5,300 in Syria alone. Many local communities in both countries are in urgent need of assistance.
Even before the earthquake, most of the humanitarian relief needed for the more than 4 million people living in opposition-controlled areas of northwestern Syria was shipped from Turkey via the Turkish border. Bab al-Hawa rifle.
This activity was interrupted after the earthquake but has since been resumed.
Facing the actual difficult situation here, more and more calls are being made to open more border gates to support the transport of relief goods to Syria.
At the closed-door meeting, Griffiths said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had agreed to let the United Nations deliver aid to Syria through two other border crossings from Turkey in the next three months.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also said that President al-Assad had agreed to open the Bab Al-Salam and Al Ra’ee border crossings.
Thus, the United Nations can use a total of 3 border gates from Turkey to access northwestern Syria.
Secretary-General Guterres said the opening of more border gates, along with facilitating humanitarian access, speeding up visa issuance and making travel between localities more convenient will allow the implementation of activities. faster relief.
Similarly, on February 13, the White House also emphasized the importance of opening more border gates to facilitate relief operations.
The Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Washington quoted White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre as saying that the US sent a convoy of 10 trucks into Syria on February 12, and affirmed that Washington was ready to provide all humanitarian aid. necessary guidance for earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria.
Previously, the Syrian government objected to the transportation relief crossing the country’s border to reach areas controlled by the opposition, claiming that this action violates national sovereignty.
Also on February 13, President Bashar al-Assad called on the international community to focus relief efforts on the goal of rebuilding the country after the earthquake disaster.
A statement from the Syrian President’s Office said that the leader emphasized the importance of international relief efforts for helping rebuild facilities in Syria.
According to the United Nations, about 5.3 million Syrians have been displaced by the earthquake. Currently, people are still in dire need of support in terms of food, health care, nutrition, temporary shelters, winter cold protection equipment and other essential goods.
Children injured after an earthquake in the town of Jindayris, Aleppo province, Syria, February 10, 2023. (Photo: AFP/VNA)In an interview with the press, a spokesman for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) offices in Beirut, Mey al-Sayegh, said the shortage of medical and rescue equipment had limited significantly limit the agency’s ability to assist in earthquake-affected areas in Syria.
According to her, due to the impact of the conflict since 2011, the IFRC no longer has the necessary equipment to carry out support missions in Syria.
In addition, cold weather conditions in Syria and Turkey also added significant obstacles to relief efforts at the scene.
This organization has supported the Syrian Red Cross 1 million Swiss francs (about 1.09 million USD) and Turkey 2 million Swiss francs.
Headquartered in Geneva (Switzerland), IFRC is the world’s largest humanitarian network supporting the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in more than 192 countries with the participation of nearly 15 million volunteers.
In related developments, according to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in North Africa, on February 13, Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Al-Mangoush announced that the country will provide $50 million to rebuild areas affected by the battle. earthquake horror in Turkey.
Al-Mangoush traveled to Ankara to offer condolences and show Libya’s solidarity with the Turkish government and people.
Speaking at a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara, Foreign Minister Al-Mangoush also said that Libyan rescue teams are currently carrying out many missions in earthquake-stricken areas in Turkey. , including setting up field medical points in place.
Earlier on February 12, Libya sent two relief aircraft to Syria and Turkey to help these two countries deal with the consequences of the earthquake.
Doan Hung-Nguyen Truong- Le Anh (VNA/Vietnam+)