By Janet Ekstract
ISTANBUL -In a formal statement on Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres conveyed that the first UN convoy crossed into northern Syria through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing with trucks carrying shelters and an array of essential relief supplies. Guterres praised both Türkiye and Syria for all the refugees they have hosted over the years and highlighted the fact that many Syrian refugees had been living in those 10 provinces and were among the dead as well as injured in the massive quakes that hit Türkiye on Monday. Guterres stated: “We mourn the loss of so many – and the tragic toll keeps growing.” He added: “And we are sadly aware that we haven’t yet seen the full extent of the damage and of the humanitarian crisis unfolding before our eyes.”
As Guterres further stated: “A center of solidarity is now an epicenter of suffering,” referring to Türkiye being home to over 3 million Syrian refugees for over a decade but now many of those refugees are quake victims in Türkiye. He said the UN is doing its utmost to respond in this dire and tragic time. The secretary-general said; “We are deploying disaster assessment experts, coordinating search and rescue teams, providing emergency relief, food, medical supplies, thermal blankets and other lifesaving items. And we are committed to doing much more.” To that end, Guterres said that Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths will travel to earthquake affected areas this weekend. Guterres said Griffiths is currently in Turkiye to visit Gaziantep, Aleppo and Damascus “to assess needs and see how we can best step up our support.”
The UN chief reiterated that the Syria Humanitarian Fund and the Syria Crossborder Fund urgently need monetary support. He commented that both funds are the best options to allow the UN and its humanitarian partners to quickly respond to those in need. Guterres explained that $25 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund was immediately allotted to jumpstart the UN response. The secretary-general said that early in the coming week, “we will launch a Flash Appeal for donor support for those affected by the earthquake in Syria.
