Posted on 09 March 2023
The United Nations has limited access into North-Western Syria to extend life saving assistance in the aftermath of last week's earthquake.
Physical damage to roads and a lack of entry points means people and resources are difficult to get into the nation. Syrian president Bashar al-Assad only allows one route for humanitarian assistance into Syria, and negotiation with the leader to extend these routes is unlikely to be successful. Phillip Proudfoot from IDS says a “political complexity” is hindering the humanitarian effort.
Stéphane Dujarric, UN spokesperson for the secretary general, says the organisation is “working to rapidly scale up its assistance” in Syria and “explore all possible avenues for assistance.” The organisation has released $25 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund for Syria.