Images of the earthquakes that have ravaged southern Turkey and northern Syria since February 6 have come mainly from Turkey. We understand this when we know the degree of organization of Turkish society compared to its neighbour. Without wishing to minimize the suffering of the Turks, it must be recognized that the Syrians really did not need such a catastrophe.
Five million people are now homeless in the disaster area of northwestern Syria. As in Turkey, all hospitals are overwhelmed, civil infrastructure is badly damaged, access to electricity, telecommunications, food, water, heating and medical care is limited. The earthquakes destroyed entire villages, killed more than 6,500 people and injured 10,000 people, according to figures estimated by the United Nations (UN).
This disaster comes as the country has been experiencing a serious humanitarian crisis for 12 years caused by a war that has claimed the lives of more than 300,000 people. Major cities like Raqqa, East Aleppo, Deraa, Homs and East Ghouta are devastated by the bombardments. More than four million Syrians depend on humanitarian aid and cross-border assistance authorized by the UN Security Council.
“Active” Weapons
Every 20 minutes, a resident is the victim of one of the approximately 300,000 explosive devices scattered across the territory. To date, nearly 80,000 have been killed or maimed, 91% of whom live in populated areas. Today, one in four people (24%) lives with a disability. It will take generations for Syria to get rid of these “active” weapons that contaminate rubble, streets, homes, public infrastructure and tunnels. The recent earthquakes have most certainly displaced some of this threat, especially in the rubble where the rescue teams are working.
The erosion of all savings and the exorbitant prices of basic products are causing new displacements of the population.
An estimated 15 million people are in need of some form of food and agricultural assistance, equivalent to 68% of the population. Where to start, there is so much to do?
Meanwhile, the shelling, even sporadic, continues. However, on November 18, in Dublin, 83 States adopted an agreement aimed at preventing the human suffering caused by these bombings. They also pledged to help victims and put in place measures to deal with the long-term impacts of the destruction of civilian infrastructure.
Humanitarian aid
Despite this hope, the time has now come for concrete action. The international community must recognize and respond to the suffering of Syrians across the region, whose untenable living conditions only increase their needs. More support, access and funding are needed. We salute the Canadian federal government for announcing last Friday an additional $20 million in humanitarian assistance to Turkey and Syria.
Redirecting existing resources and funds from other parts of Syria will only pit communities against each other while creating more competition for humanitarian funding. We must avoid adding to the already too many gaps in the overall response. We would only be undoing the small vital progress that has already been made.