The aftermath of the earthquake has been “more disastrous” in Syria than in Turkey where the epicentre of the quake was located, said the country director for Syrian American Medical Society Foundation (SAMS), reported CNN. “It’s a disastrous situation both in Turkey and Syria – although in Syria it’s more disastrous,” Bachir Tajaldin told the publication on Tuesday.
As per the latest figures, 1,220 people were reported dead in the rebel-held northwestern region of Syria with 2,600 people injured while at least 812 deaths have been confirmed in government-controlled parts of Syria.
Decades of conflict in northern Syria, has fostered “a poor economic situation” making it very difficult to respond to the current crisis, Tajaldin said.
In contrast, “the situation in Turkey is coordinated through a very well-settled government,” he explained, adding that in northern Syria “most of the services are provided by NGOs” due to a lack of long-term investments in early-recovery and infrastructure.
Which has been struggling since the country's 2011 civil war. Several parts, including Idlib, are still controlled by anti-government rebels.
About 70% Population Needed Humanitarian Aid Before Quake
Nearly 70 per cent of the Syrian population was in need of humanitarian aid before the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred in the early hours of Monday created devastation and compounded the problem in the country, said the United Nations.
"This tragedy will have a devastating impact on many vulnerable families who struggle to provide for their loved ones on a daily basis,” said UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim for Syria and the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis in a joint statement on Tuesday.
The statement outlined the impact of Syria’s 12-year war, describing a country as “grappling with economic collapse and severe water, electricity, and fuel shortages.” The pair issued an appeal to all donor partners to “provide the assistance necessary to alleviate suffering.”
As per the CNN report, the UN and humanitarian partners say they are currently focusing on immediate needs, including food, shelter, non-food items and medicine.
Only Humanitarian Aid Corridor Between Turkey, Syria Damaged
The road leading to only humanitarian aid border crossing between Turkey and Syria, Baba-al-Hawa has been damaged after the earthquake, hindering relief work, said the United Nation on Tuesday.
Stéphane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary General António Guterres, said at a briefing the crossing is “actually intact” and continues to be used as a trans-shipment hub. However, he said the road leading to the crossing has been damaged and that’s "temporarily disrupted our ability to fully use it."
The land crossing was described by Guterres as an “indispensable lifeline" after the UN Security Council voted to renew the cross-border mechanism a day before it was set to expire.