Why it is Difficult to Deliver Earthquake Relief Aid to Syria

02/13/23

“Why is it difficult to deliver earthquake relief aid to Syria?”

The Northwestern Syrian province of Idlib has been a warzone for over a decade now. The Assad regime and Russia’s bombing campaigns have forced over 4.1 million Syrian civilians to flee to this patch of rebel-held territory. The recent (as of writing) earthquake has only made matters worse. While there is a strong desire to send aid, delivering it is greatly difficult. Why is this so?

To understand, we need to learn a bit about the ongoing civil war and genocide in Syria. The Assad regime considers any international aid being brought from other countries such as Türkiye to be a violation of its sovereignty. Currently, there is only one border pass, Bab al-Hawa, where aid is allowed to flow through. The Assad regime’s backers, Russia and China, have used their veto powers at the U.N. Security Council to block more aid routes into Syria from Türkiye.

When the earthquake struck, the road through the crossing border was severely damaged. This is Why it is Difficult to Deliver Earthquake Relief Aid to Syria. With the cold winter in place, please make a donation to the Syrian White Helmets.