A senior United Nations humanitarian official said road damage, fuel shortages and harsh winter weather in Syria are hindering the agency’s response to Monday’s earthquake, which killed more than 1,400 people in the country and left millions in need of assistance.
A massive earthquake that has killed more than 2,300 people in Turkey has forced people to take to the streets in northern Syria, where air strikes and bombing during the war have weakened many buildings.
“The infrastructure is damaged and the roads we used for humanitarian work are damaged and we have to be creative with people… but we are working hard,” said Mustafa Benlamlich, UN Resident Coordinator. in an interview with Reuters.
Even before the 7.8 earthquake struck early Monday morning, the United Nations estimates that more than four million people in northwestern Syria were dependent on cross-border assistance. Many of them have been displaced by the 12 years of conflict and live in camps.
The United Nations says the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance is now greater than at any time since the start of the war, with 70 percent of the population in need of assistance. And that was before the earthquake.
“These are the same people – now they are suffering more,” Benlimli said. He noted that many of those whose homes were destroyed spend the night outside or in cars in freezing weather without access to basic necessities such as jackets and mattresses.
He added that the UN is working to accelerate the mobilization of all possible assistance to the affected areas, whether in areas controlled by the government or under the control of the opposition.
But international support is underfunded. The United Nations has received less than half of the $4.4 billion it has asked donors to meet growing needs in 2022. If this trend continues, Benlimleich said, the prospects for recovery from the Syrian crisis could diminish.
“Everything that we have (help and money) we are using for the time being. We hope to be able to replenish them to meet normal needs,” he added.
And the official added: “When we receive less than 50% of funding, it does not mean that we have succeeded. The number of those in need is constantly increasing, the crisis is getting worse.”
More than 3,800 people have died in southeastern Turkey and neighboring Syria in a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake followed hours later by another 7.5 magnitude quake that was felt in Greenland and Denmark while the cold weather and darkness hampered rescue efforts.
The death toll continues to rise as many people are still trapped under the rubble. Also, rain with snowfall and a drop in temperature after dark complicate the work of rescuers and the situation of people displaced by the earthquake.
Under these circumstances, the World Health Organization expected the final result to be much higher than the announced inconclusive figures.
