I have just returned from a six-day trip to Syria, where I visited Aleppo with our team to see first-hand the destruction left behind by the earthquake. It was the fourth time I visited this city.
I was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the destruction and loss that families suffered for just 60 seconds on the early morning of February 6th.
On other occasions, I have observed the cruelty suffered by the civilian population as a result of the armed conflict. But this time I was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the destruction and loss that families suffered for just 60 seconds on the early morning of February 6th.
More than ten years of armed conflict have caused destruction on different scales and at different times for each community. But in this natural disaster, homes on both sides of the front line were reduced to mountains of rubble. On all sides, everyone was affected by grief and loss.
It is precisely this collective suffering that should lead us to put aside the political and allow international assistance to reach people who need it in whatever way possible. My fear is that if this doesn’t happen today, when will it happen? How many more must suffer for living where they do?
We need to consider all options – cross-border convoys and supply routes from within Syria – to scale up our action in a way that meets what Syrians deserve across the country, particularly in the areas hardest hit by the earthquake, in Aleppo, Idlib, Latakkia and Jableh. The population urgently needs basic goods and services – food, water, health care – but they also need long-term help to rebuild their lives after the earthquake and after years and years of armed conflict.
The impact of the assistance provided by our teams in the areas to which we have access is very significant
The impact of the assistance that our teams provide in the areas to which we have access is very significant. We have mobilized teams to provide vital assistance in Aleppo, Latakia and Tartous. Together with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, we have reached more than 30,000 people with assistance in the form of water, hygiene items, food and mattresses. We have donated medicines and supplies to six hospitals and helped repair shelters that house displaced families. We will send more medical equipment and basic supplies to help thousands of families who have lost their homes. On the other hand, I am encouraged to see the efforts of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in the region.
Parallel to much-needed relief, over the past twelve years the ICRC has worked to prevent the collapse of critical infrastructure so that communities maintain, at a minimum, access to essential services such as clean water and health care. Once again, this earthquake forces us to rethink how to efficiently support the Syrian population, which has proven to be so resilient. What, exactly, do communities need most? How far can we go with the rehabilitation of essential infrastructure? How do we provide accommodation for hundreds of thousands of people?
We need the international community to help us meet those needs. Today we are asking donors for another 30 million Swiss francs to contribute to the disaster response. Thus, our total budget for Syria amounts to 200 million Swiss francs, funds necessary to meet humanitarian needs throughout the country.
The organization was present in Syria during more than a decade of armed conflict; We are determined to support Syrians across the country and will do all we can to help affected communities recover from what is turning out to be wave after wave of debilitating crises for Syrian families.