Syria’s Afrin, Idlib receive no support 56 hours after earthquake
IDLIB, Syria (North Press) – Exclusive sources from Bab al-Hawa border crossing with Turkey north of Idlib, northwest Syria, stressed so far no international or UN humanitarian support has been received through the crossing, claiming that routes are affected by the earthquake that hit on Feb. 6.
On Feb. 6, residents in Syria and Turkey woke to a 7.9 magnitude earthquake that has resulted in the killing and injuring of thousands of people and devastating a big number of residential building under which thousands are said to be still trapped.
The victims’ toll of the strong earthquakes in Syria has reached 2.098 dead and 4.106 injured, according to North Press’ Monitoring and Documentation Department.
In Turkey, the deaths have mounted to 6.234 and injuries to 37.011, according the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD).
The sources told North Press that the UN said it would not be able to send aid to the region due to damaged routes, which link the crossing to Turkey, but the truth “is that all routes linking between the border and the UN warehouses in Turkey are passable and nothing curbs the aid entry.”
No international team has arrived in the region though the earthquake enters the third day. “Only Syrians’ bodies, who died of the earthquake in Turkey, arrive through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing, but anything else from Turkey is not allowed to enter,” the sources stressed.
In the past 24 hours, the Bab al-Hawa border crossing witnessed the arrival of 100 bodies for Syrians died in Turkey due to the earthquake. Some bodies were handed over to their relatives while the remainders are to be identified yet.
On Tuesday, Syria Civil Defense, operates in opposition-held areas in northwestern Syria, told North Press on Tuesday that northwest Syria has not received support by any party to intensify search operations and extract victims from under the rubbles after earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria on Monday.
24 hours after the earthquake, the situation is still tragic as hundreds of families, including children, are still trapped under the rubble, the source added.