Quake aid accesses NW Syria through 3 border crossings – UN
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Three border crossings are now operational for delivering aid from Turkey into opposition-held areas in northwest Syria following the devastating Feb. 6 earthquake, the UN said on Monday.
Ten trucks laden with relief aid from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have accessed the opposition-held areas through al-Rai border crossing for the first time, said Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, at a press conference in New York.
Dujarric added, “This is the first UN convoy through this border crossing since the Government of Syria agreed to its use for aid deliveries.”
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has agreed to allow United Nations aid deliveries to opposition-held areas in northwest Syria through two additional border crossings with Turkey for three months, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Feb. 13.
“Opening these crossing points … will allow more aid to go in faster,” Guterres added.
Sanjana Quazi, UNOCHA Head of Office in Turkey, said in a tweet, “Today the first @UN convoy of 10@ UNmigration trucks with shelter and medical supplies crossed” into northwest Syria through the al-Rai border crossing.
She stressed that the three border crossings (Bab al-Hawa, Bab al-Salameh and al-Rai) are operational now.
At dawn on Feb. 6, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Syria and Turkey, killing thousands and injuring much more. The earthquake also caused immense destruction of buildings, trapping thousands under the rubble.