after more who hold of waning bombardment international supportAnd a suffocating economic crisis, northwest Syria was controlled by the opposition already barely hanging on when calamity befell.
instead of of bombs from skythe earth gurgle who below early on the morning of Feb 6 – Mxstory Cinderblock homes are falling on heads of population.
earthquake left more from 35,000 people dead in Turkey, where international help It can flow easily in. But the complex politics of humanitarian assistance in Northwestern Syria, which is controlled by the opposition left There are many citizens who are weary of the war for themselves.
Waleed Ibrahim lost more out of twenty of for him family members – including his brother, cousin and all children. He was unable to extract their bodies from the rubble until two days after the earthquake.
“We were removing rock after rock and finding nothing under it. People were screaming under the concrete, ‘Get on!’” us out! Gets us out! But we came up with Empty hands.
“Your hands alone are not enough.”
cutting of provinces of Idlib and neighboring Aleppo, which were held by the Turkish-backed opposition, suffered the brunt of earthquake victims in Syria: over 4000 of The whole Syrian death fees of more than 5,800, according to the United Nations government authorities.
Four Syrian cities in a stretch The Turkish border was among the most difficult hitSalqin, Hareem, Jandris, and Atarib.
On an organized press tour on Tuesday, Reuters saw about 20 people men And the boys are trying to salvage as much powder as they can homes in The harem and its fringes are unprotected gear or uniform.
Some just wore it work glovesCovered in Gray and white dust of Shattered cinderblock blocks. Even their eyelashes, lips, and beards were covered in Chalk material.
A man prays among the rubble while a lone excavator removes the rubble. The children chased each other around the hills of Rubble and twisted rebar.
‘The hardest week’
The front lines have become relatively quiet over A decade of conflict – that broke out in 2011 with protests against Bashar al-Assad, who is finished up Divide the country into rival cantons.
Raed Saleh who Heads the White Helmets rescue team. force operating in Opposition-held areas, are more They used to save the victims of Bombing.
He said rescuers let them go home to see their families for the first time on Tuesday after roundClock operations for the last eight days required Every volunteer and every piece of equipment.
“It was the hardest week of Our life “.
“What’s happened us – It’s th first the time it occurred world. There was an earthquake and international community And the United Nations does not help,” He said.
Saleh and others in Northwest said more Lives could have been saved in Syria if outside world He acted faster.
earthquake hit Turkish cities where major humanitarian organizations run relief operations in Syria is stationed and the only border crossing from Turkey has been closed for days.
dozens of UN aid trucks later moved food and medicine through this crossing, which was authorized by a 2014 Security Council resolution that allowed aid into Syria without Assad’s approval.
On Tuesday, A.J second border crossing for The aid delivery was opened after Assad gave his approval, marking a shift for Damascus, which has long opposed cross-border aid deliveries to the opposition enclave.
But the move He was met with Suspicion and even anger by many residents of Idlib where the bulk of 4 million residents descended from another bombingout interrupts.
“Lou the lion wanted to help These poor peopleThen he wouldn’t have driven them to it begin He said Juma Ramadan is a daily worker.
The trucks didn’t include anything of heavy equipment And machines Rescuers say they are need To remove debris faster – and that would have helped with Reconstruction.
It may be the economic crisis in Syria also hinder rebuilding, with 77% of families already Unable to secure basic needs, according to the United Nations assessment.
Those in Idlib has no choice but to rebuild with Turkey, which hosts 3.6 million Syrians, no longer accepts others, while many fear crossing the front into areas controlled by Assad’s forces. But resources are scarce.
“The situation is really tragic,” said Abdul Rahman Muhammad, a displaced Syrian from the neighboring Aleppo governorate.
“anyone who He works as a laborer and hires a house… If you are need $10 a day in expenses and you can hardly get that – how Are you supposed to rebuild?” He said.
Hospitals use it all of their reserves of medical equipment to treat Abdul Razzaq Zaqzouq, a local representative of the earthquake victims, said for Syrian American Medical Society.
Health Minister Hossein Bazar of Salvation government declared unilaterally in Northwestern Syria, he said, the displacement of tens of Thousands can lead to an “enormous” increase in Cholera outbreak already Destruction of the stressed area with water, as well as a spike in Other diseases.
“It’s not about stinging or stinging of food. This is not the main thing for people,” He said.
“the people want To feel that they are human who deserve live in dignity in this area. “