The worsened dire situation in Syria due to devastating earthquake.

The already difficult situation in the country, where thousands of people have lost their homes and been displaced by the war, was made even worse by the recent earthquakes. Houses destroyed by the war collapsed like houses of cards, thousands of people died. But international aid to Syria against Turkey’s background is negligible.

Bombing, displacement and refugee movements. Isolation from the world, drought, economic collapse. Wednesday marks 12 years since war broke out in Syria. Much blood was shed and the country was ruined. But the recent earthquakes that wreaked havoc in Turkey also hit Syria hard.

Almost 6,000 people died and more than ten thousand were injured. The devastating earthquakes significantly worsened the already critical humanitarian situation in the war-torn country. About 12 million people, or more than half of the country’s population, are food insecure. Another 2.9 million are at risk of starvation.

Syria, unlike Turkey, received almost no humanitarian aid after the earthquakes. This was made especially difficult by the warring forces in the country.

In the earthquake-affected area, several forces compete for control at the same time. Kurdish-led and jihadist forces, the Syrian government, Syrian rebels, as well as the Turkish military and Turkish-backed Syrian rebels.

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Although reduced in recent months, Russia also has a military presence in the country, which is currently waging a war in Ukraine and has previously been extensively involved in hostilities in Syria. Northwest Syria is particularly difficult to reach, with only one small border crossing on the Turkish border.

“It is clear that the armed groups did not help by obstructing the delivery of aid across the borders. It took the Syrian government in Damascus a week before it even allowed two additional border crossings. The United Nations and the international community seemed paralyzed during this period,” admits Hany, the commissioner of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria. Megalium.

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Despite the dire situation, even after the recent natural disaster, the war in Syria has not stopped and is claiming more and more civilian lives. The warring parties in Syria committed extensive human rights violations several months before the earthquakes. This was found by the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria.

“We are truly appalled that almost 12 years since the start of the war, Syrian government forces have used cluster munitions in densely populated displacement camps, in the opposition territory of Idlib, killing and injuring at least 67 civilians,” said Paulo Pinheiro, chairman of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi recently visited Damascus. He met with the Syrian president. During the meeting, Bashar al-Assad expressed his desire for greater cooperation between Syria and international organizations that provide humanitarian aid to the country.

Also, Syria has expressed its desire to return to the Arab League. Arab states are divided over Syria’s possible readmission to the league. Egypt is one of the countries lobbying for the return of Damascus.

Syria was expelled from the league and virtually isolated from the rest of the Arab world in 2011 as punishment for the Assad government’s crackdown on pro-democracy supporters.

Many Arab countries then recalled their envoys from Damascus. Saudi Arabia will host the Arab League summit this year. Asked if Syria would be welcome, the Saudi crown prince said it was too early to say.

CONTEXT:

At the beginning of 2011, the population of several North African and Middle Eastern countries revolted against long-time autocrats. The wave of protests got the name “Arab Spring”. They led to the overthrow of undemocratic leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen.

Syrians also took to the streets in anger to express their dissatisfaction with the authoritarian president Bashar al-Assad, who had ruled for more than a decade at the time, and inherited power after the death of his father, Hafez al-Assad. Assad sent the army against the Syrians demanding change, which mercilessly suppressed the demonstrations.

The opposition members of the regime took up arms. As a result, a civil war broke out in Syria, in which forces loyal to Assad fought against countless rebel groups, who often also fought each other. A few years later, the power vacuum created in the country was used by the jihadist group “Islamic State”, which took control of a large area. All warring parties in the conflict have been accused of war crimes and gross human rights violations.

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