World, Syria’s conflict parties failed to help quake-affected people – UN
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – The UN Syria Commission of Inquiry said on Monday that parties of conflict in Syria, the international community and the UN have all failed to help those affected by the February 6 earthquake in war-torn country.
The commission described, in a statement, the response to the disaster in hardest-hit northwest Syria as “wholesale failure by the Government and the international community, including the United Nations.”
Following the devastating earthquake, it took the UN four days to deliver the first aid convoy into northwest Syria through Bab al-Hawa border crossing, which contributed to many avoidable deaths. The Syrian government, for its part, did not authorize the opening of other border crossing until a week after the disaster.
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) also played a role in increasing the Syrians’ suffering by refusing to receive aid coming from government-held areas.
The Turkish-backed opposition’s Syrian National Army (SNA) syphoned off cross-border aid coming to its areas of control and refused to receive aid from areas held by the government and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
“It is more important than ever that they [parties of conflict] consent to impartial humanitarian relief being delivered unimpeded to those in need, whether through cross-border or cross-line modalities,” said Hanny Megally, member of the commission.