The 2023 Earthquake in Syria – A Humanitarian Catastrophe in Figures

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – At dawn on February 6, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Syria and Turkey, killing tens of thousands. Aftershocks are still being felt across the region.

Additionally, thousands of Syrians have been injured, more than 5 million people have been displaced, thousands of homes have been destroyed, and four large cities in the country have been declared disaster zones – namely, Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Idlib.

The earthquake has impacted all spheres of life, and basic human rights are at risk, such as those related to housing, shelter, food and security.

The infrastructure in quake-stricken areas was decimated, as thousands of buildings collapsed, exacerbating the suffering of a country already at war for over a decade.

Syria is home to over 6.7 million IDPs, and more than 90 percent of its population lives below the poverty line. The earthquake has only compounded the crisis.

The toll

Syria’s long-running civil war and existing acute humanitarian crises have imposed additional difficulties in helping survivors in Syria. Unlike Turkey, where several dozen countries and international organizations have already sent teams of rescuers, donations and aid, help from abroad has been slow to arrive to Syria.

The total number of dead from the earthquake across Syrian now stands at 3.587 – a number that aid agencies have warned is likely to rise significantly. Those injured number at least 7.005. These data were gathered by North Press’ Monitoring and Documentation Department based on on-the-ground sources.

At least 1.414 deaths and 2.349 injuries have been confirmed in government-held  areas, while 2.167 deaths and 2.950 injuries were documented in northwest Syria. The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), whose territory was less affected by the quake, confirmed six deaths and 56 injuries.

The number of the buildings that were completely destroyed by the earthquake has reached 903, while those partially damaged has reached more than 2.000 in all Syrian territories.

Authorities in all regions are working to evacuate the cracked buildings and are working to demolish them in a controlled manner, as unplanned demolition, not supervised by specialized teams, can seriously damage neighboring buildings.

Pulling bodies under the rubble in the town of Jindires in Afrin countryside, NW Syria – North Press

Humanitarian situation in disaster zones

People in the earthquake-affected areas have lost basic human rights, such as those pertaining to housing, shelter and food. Initial figures suggest the majority of those affected are women and children.

Most of the children, whose number is estimated at half of the number of IDPs, have become homeless, and may become vulnerable to crime, exploitation, physical and sexual abuse, child labor and forced recruitment by political factions active in the areas they live in.

In addition, children will be deprived of their right to education. Under-schooling was previously a widespread problem in these areas and will likely deteriorate further due to the large increase in the number of IDPs.

Women may be exposed to physical and sexual exploitation, harassment and diseases as they will live in open shelters and unsafe homes.

A woman from Jindires, in Afrin in the northern countryside of Aleppo, pleaded with North Press, “Help us, for God’s sake, find us a solution. We do not want food. Give us a tent to shelter in. Our home is destroyed, all Jindires is destroyed; nothing is left.”

The country is already contending with serious cholera, leishmaniasis, and hepatitis C outbreaks, which earthquake survivors, too, will have to battle due to the unsanitary conditions of public shelters.

The earthquake’s devastating impact will deepen humanitarian suffering in Syria, making longer-term recovery an even more distant prospect.

Human rights violations in disaster zones

Along with the devastation brought about by the earthquake, the country is under a state of emergency. Despite this, some Turkish-backed opposition factions and members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) have not stopped committing crimes against civilians.

In the city of Jindires, militants of Sultan Suleiman Shah Division (also known as al-Amshat), a faction affiliated with the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), have stolen humanitarian aid delivered by a charity from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).

North Press’ Monitoring and Documentation Department confirmed that the al-Amshat division stole a large part of the aid while it was being distributed, and transferred it to the village of Kurzeleh, in the Sherawa district of Afrin.

The convoy, which entered the afflicted region four days after the earthquake, was forced to pay $1.000 per truck to the faction’s members in order to reach Jindires.

Such actions are clear violation of international humanitarian law.

According to the humanitarian principles, every human being has the right to humanitarian assistance in order to ensure respect for the human rights to life, health, protection from any brutal or humiliating treatment, and other rights necessary for their survival, well-being and protection in emergency cases.

Turkish-backed opposition factions and members of HTS also demolished buildings under the pretext that they were at-risk, though residents say they were not.

The factions did so without consulting with specialists or surveying the buildings themselves, including inhabited neighboring buildings, and demolished certain houses without the permission of their owners.

North Press’ Monitoring and Documentation Department can confirm the indiscriminate demolition of 13 commercial and five residential buildings. The unstudied demolition of civilian buildings is considered a crime under international law as it endangers civilian’s rights to adequate housing. Responsible parties must be held accountable for such crimes, as they unjustly caused the displacement of dozens of families.

Forced displacement is also considered a violation to the international humanitarian law, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1966.

A resident of the city of Jindires told North Press that his house and shop were not affected by the earthquake, but that he was made to leave the house. When he returned, he found that armed militants had blown up the building without warning.

Great damage left by the earthquake in the town of Jindires in the countryside of Afrin, northwest Syria – North Press

International aid

After the deadly earthquake, the international community largely put political considerations aside in order to provide humanitarian assistance to those affected.

On Friday, the US eased sanctions on Syria to allow for the flow of humanitarian assistance.

The US Treasury issued a license (General License – GL 23) which, for a period of 180 days, authorizes all transactions related to earthquake relief which would otherwise be prohibited by the US’ Syrian sanctions regulations. 

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights called for a ceasefire in Syria in order to ensure the delivery of aid to all sides.

Paulo Pinheiro, chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, also called on all parties to the conflict in Syria to commit to a comprehensive ceasefire to enable humanitarian workers and rescue workers to reach people in need “without fear of attacks.”

The Commission urged the international community to “move swiftly” to provide humanitarian aid and support, and called on all parties to ensure immediate and unrestricted humanitarian access to all areas affected by the earthquake.

The UN envoy to Syria called for the de-politicization of relief aid for the Syrians affected by the earthquake.

On Friday, the UN contributed an additional $25 million as a grant to support aid efforts in Syria’s earthquake-stricken areas.

Dozens of countries have provided relief and medical assistance, as well as rescue teams to Syria. Government-held areas received assistance from day one, unlike the Syrian opposition areas, which only began receiving aid on the fifth day after the earthquake.

Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Iraq, Lebanon, the Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Pakistan, India, Iran, Russia, and Italy all provided aid to Syria.

Recommendations:

– Turkish-backed factions and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) must stop committing human rights violations against civilians and their property.

– All factions – HTS, the Turkish-backed Interim Government, and the Syrian government – must allow aid to access affected areas.

– The Security Council and UN agencies should search for other avenues to deliver aid to all earthquake-affected areas in Syria, and consider opening closed border crossings.

– Concerned parties and organizations operating in the affected areas should strive to help those affected, provide material and psychological support, and find solutions to care for the surviving children.

– The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria should investigate the violations committed by all factions against civilians.

Monitoring and Documentation Department