The United Nations chief launched a $397 million appeal on Tuesday to help nearly 5 million survivors of last week’s devastating earthquake in rebel-held northwestern Syria, who have received very little assistance due to the deep divisions exacerbated by the 12-year war in the country.
Secretary General Antonio Guterres announced the appeal a day after concluding an agreement between the UN and Syrian President Bashar Assad to open two new crossing points from Turkey for an initial period of three months. The UN has only been allowed to deliver aid to the northwestern area of Idlib through a single crossing at Bab Al-Hawa, at the insistence of Syrian ally Russia.
Guterres said the devastation of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that devastated southern Turkey and northwestern Syria on February 6 “is one of the worst in recent times” and “we all know that life-saving aid has not reached the necessary speed and scale”. .”
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He said the $397 million will provide “desperately needed vital relief for nearly 5 million Syrians, including shelter, medical care, food and protection” for three months.
Guterres said the UN was in the final stages of preparing an emergency appeal for earthquake-ravaged southern Turkey.
He urged the international community to provide the emergency funds without delay, saying: “Human suffering from this epic natural disaster must not be further made worse by man-made obstacles: access, financing, supplies.”
The secretary general said that aid to Syria must come by all routes to all areas without restrictions.
A senior UN World Food Program official warned that food insecurity in the affected areas of Syria had risen sharply even before the quake.
The United Nations has requested $397 million in aid for survivors of the catastrophic earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria last week. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
“Before it was very bad. Now it’s dramatic,” said Corinne Fleischer, the agency’s Middle East director.
“Half the population is facing starvation. And that’s the worst we’ve seen since the beginning of the crisis in Syria. Even at the height of the war, we didn’t have 12 million food insecure people,” he said in a statement. interview with Associated Press.
Guterres announced that a convoy of 11 trucks was on the move to pass through one of the newly opened crossings at Bab Al-Salam, “with many more to come.” He said the second new crossing at Al Raee is also open, “and the goods are flowing.”
The announcement of the two additional crossings from Turkey came as the UN Security Council was meeting on Monday afternoon over the difficulties in getting aid into northwestern Syria.
The UN has also been trying to send a convoy northwest across conflict lines into Syria, but has not gotten the green light from all parties. The convoy has reportedly been blocked by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a rebel group with ties to al Qaeda that controls part of the northwest.
France’s ambassador to the UN, Nicolas De Riviere, told reporters ahead of the council meeting on Monday that there were two options: either the Syrian government grant additional access to the northwest, or the council would try to adopt a resolution authorizing access points. additional crossings in the region.
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After the meeting and the announcement of the two new crossings, De Riviere said there should be “no obstacles” to delivering aid through the three crossings. If there are, he said, the Security Council should consider adopting a resolution under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which means it can be applied militarily, to authorize the crossings and bring aid to the millions of people in need. .
When Secretary General Guterres was asked about a possible meeting with President Assad, he said that what is needed now are not high-level visits that divert resources, but intensifying relief efforts.
“I’m following that very, very closely,” he said, “and when it’s helpful and positive, I’m ready to do whatever it takes.”
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As to whether a Security Council resolution is needed, he reiterated that the two new crossings are open, “and we will see, of course, if the situation changes, we would take the necessary measures.”
