Bab al-Hawa, Syria – With a whole bunch of individuals trapped, rescuers have lamented the shortage of worldwide humanitarian help desperately wanted after the devastating earthquake that killed hundreds in northwest Syria.
Whereas rescue groups and volunteers from around the globe have made their strategy to Turkey, medical volunteer Obaida Rannoush known as out the inaction of the worldwide neighborhood in terms of his nation.
“I call on the international community, the Arab countries, and the United Nations to urgently help us,” he mentioned, standing by the Bab al-Hawa border crossing.
“More than 60 hours after the quake took place, there are still hundreds trapped under the debris. We cannot rescue them because of our meagre resources. We need heavy machinery, humanitarian and medical aid,” he mentioned.
Till now, he went on to say, not a single humanitarian convoy has crossed the border.
“We have not received any kind of assistance,” Rannoush mentioned. “We are standing here by the border crossing to ask for humanitarian aid so we can save some of the people under the rubble.”
On Wednesday, the World Well being Group (WHO) mentioned it’s deploying groups and three flights with medical provides to Turkey and Syria.
“The health needs are tremendous,” mentioned Dr Iman Shankiti, the WHO consultant for Syria.
Many hundreds are additionally injured, Shankiti mentioned, including that the Syrian healthcare system was already on its knees after years of warfare.
Hundreds of thousands affected
In northwest Syria, the sluggish worldwide response is a matter of life or demise for a whole bunch nonetheless trapped underneath the concrete of collapsed buildings.
The shortage of response has prompted dozens of Syrian journalists to stage a sit-in on the Bab al-Hawa crossing.
Mazen Alloush, head of media relations for the Bab al-Hawa border, mentioned tens of millions of Syrians have been affected by the earthquake and its aftershocks.
“The crossing has been closed since the earthquake took place,” he mentioned.
Madevi Solar-Suon, spokesperson for the United Nations Workplace for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said on Tuesday that help flows from Turkey to northwest Syria have quickly stopped due to the fallout from the earthquake.
“Some roads are broken, some are inaccessible. There are logistical issues that need to be worked through,” she mentioned.
Funerals however no help
However Alloush rejected these claims, saying the roads are open.
“Every half hour or so we see cars carrying the bodies of Syrian people who died in the earthquake in Turkey crossing the border into Syria,” he mentioned. “So how can the roads be closed for help however open for funeral convoys?
“We know that the UN aid is stored in the Turkish city of Reyhanli, which is just one kilometre away from the border crossing,” he added.
To this point, the our bodies of 300 Syrians who died from the earthquake in Turkey have crossed into Syria for funerals. However Alloush mentioned for the reason that first moments after the quake, Turkey stopped receiving medical sufferers from Syria, and has additionally barred volunteer groups from crossing the border.
“No aid has entered [north Syria] through any of the corridors,” Abdul Razzak Kentar, programmes supervisor on the Syria Civil Defence, instructed Al Jazeera.
“Solely an Egyptian technical staff of 20 folks, together with medical doctors with out gear, entered by the Bab al-Hawa crossing.
“All of the crossings based on official statements have been opened – Bab al-Hawa, Jarabulus, and Bab al-Salamah. However as for the civil defence, now we have not acquired any worldwide or non-international help to date.
“We are still working with our reserves and aid from local organisations operating in the liberated north,” Kentar mentioned.
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