Little Aid Delivered to Government Shelter Centers in Aleppo
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – Some residents who left their homes and sought shelter in emergency centers in Aleppo after Monday’s earthquake said, on Thursday, that they had not received aid so far. Others complained of the scarce supplies available in other emergency centers.
Abu Malik, 73, a resident of Salah al-Din neighborhood in Aleppo, who is currently staying in a shelter in the city, said his family shares the center with 19 other families, but the aid they receive is “not enough for two people.”
Malik, like most other residents, was forced to leave his house on the fifth floor for fear that his building would collapse. It had shown cracks in the aftermath of Monday’s earthquake.
“They brought us a bag containing a can of canned meat, a can of tuna, sardines, and a bottle of oil. Most people slept hungry,” Abu Malik said.
He pointed out that each person in the center gets two loaves of bread a day.
Despite the government’s narrative that food and aid is arriving to Syria from Arab countries, Iran and Russia, as well as donations worth millions of dollars, many families still suffer from a shortage of food, bread, medicine, infant formula and other necessities in government shelter centers, according to residents interviewed by North Press.
The Aleppo Governorate has opened more than 175 temporary shelters for those affected by the earthquake.
At dawn on Monday, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Syria and Turkey, killing thousands and injuring many more. The earthquake also caused immense destruction of buildings, trapping thousands under the rubble.
The search for victims and survivors under the rubble of the collapsed buildings continue amid great difficulty, due to the freezing and rainy weather.
On Thursday morning, the death toll in Syria reached 3.583 people, and more than 6.342 have reportedly been injured.