Quake latest: Aid convoys will keep crossing into Syria ‘for as long as needs are there’

Since February 9th 143 trucks drove through the Bab al-Hawa and Bab al-Salam crossings, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). “The movements continue today, they continue over the weekend and will continue each day as long as the need exists‘ OCHA spokesman Jens Laerke told journalists in Geneva.

When asked about earthquake damage to roads leading to the auxiliary corridors, the OCHA spokesman referred to information that “all roads are passable through all crossing points and you can drive there… I was in Bab al-Hawa myself a few days ago and the trucks actually rolled over”.

In view of the massive devastation in both Türkiye and Syria after the double earthquake on February 6, the emergency services continue to emphasize this the full extent of the catastrophe is still unfolding. Echoing that message, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warned on Thursday that Syria could be at risk of earthquake damage “immediate and longer-term food security” in Syria.

More than 15 million people are estimated to be affected in Türkiye, while 8.8 million are affected in Syria. Humanitarian aid is urgently needed, aid teams in Aleppo have learned firsthand, especially after more than a decade of war.

Cracks in buildings – and people

“I was quite overwhelmed by not only the extent of the destruction but also the loss inflicted on the families in just 60 seconds,” said Fabrizio Carboni, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) regional director for the Middle East Middle East.

“For the first time I saw that there was not just a crack and cracks in the buildings, but for the first time I really saw that our colleagues, the people you spoke to in Syria, They were really wounded and something is broken.”

Aid from Damascus blocked

Speaking to journalists in Geneva, the ICRC official also made a strong appeal for Crossline Aid shipments from Damascus are to be allowed through to the north-west, which is largely held by the opposition: “We tried to get to Idlib via Crossline and unfortunately so far we have been blocked. So, I don’t have first-hand information on the roads and driveways, however We are ready to board but we are blocked to do crossline so farhoping that might change soon.”

Warm meals, family rations

As part of the UN-wide response, the World Food Program (WFP) reported Thursday that it had stepped up its emergency response almost half a million people affected by the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria, providing hot meals, ready-to-eat emergency kits and food rations for families.

“Families tell me they left everything behind in the earthquake and ran for their lives. WFP’s food is a lifeline for them; While they think about their next steps in the devastation left by the earthquake, their children can eat,” said Corinne Fleischer, WFP regional director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe.

She added: “We have grown rapidly and requests for more food are coming in from communities and communities every day. We are here for them, but WFP cannot do it alone. We Urgently seek financial support to help us reach those in need.”

Avert a health disaster

The need remains huge, but the international response is gaining momentum, both in Türkiye and in Syria, confirmed Caroline Holt, Global Director for Operations at The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC):

“In Türkiye we are supporting very strongly with the local Turkish Red Crescent to help with shelter, food, washing, health and also cash.”

In Syria, the IFRC works with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to support people with basic needs and household items, including health, psychosocial support and clean water. With cholera already present in Syria, access to clean water is “absolutely critical to preventing this second potential disaster, this second health disaster,” Ms Holt said.

UN-led emergency appeals for both countries were issued this week — a $1 billion request to Türkiye to help 5.2 million people for three months and a $397 million humanitarian appeal for nearly five million people in Syria – boosted by a $50 million cash injection from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund.

Farming communities were also badly hit

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) stressed the need for sustained aid in the region More help was needed for farming communities affected by the crisis.

They are still shaken by the disaster, not least those who have opened their homes to survivors from nearby towns.

Urgent needs include assessing the extent of damage to agriculture and food supply chains, including irrigation systems, roads, markets and storage facilities.

Long-term threat to food security

In Syria, worrying early signs point to significant disruption in crop and animal production capacity threaten “immediate and longer-term food security‘ said FAO.

“This contains Damage and loss to livestock, farm equipment and infrastructure such as greenhouses, irrigation, storage facilities, and food and feed production facilities, among others.”

To support and assist rural communities in resuming staple food production, the FAO found that its priority activities were the supply of animal feed, seeds, seedlings, fertilizers, fuel, tools, equipment, livestock vaccinations and unconditional cash transfers for one to three months comprised.

Labor support in Türkiye

In Türkiye, FAO has also provided assistance to displaced persons and host families affected by the earthquakes, with a focus on supporting jobs. The FAO’s Syria Refugee Resilience Plan aims to provide $71.8 million to support 250,000 people.