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UN: World after Earthquake Was Slow to Send Aid to Syria

Brazilian Paulo Pinheiro, Chairperson of the Commission of Inquiry on Syria, talks to the media during a press conference, before presenting the last report by the Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic on the human rights situation in Syria at the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, March 13, 2023. (AP)
Brazilian Paulo Pinheiro, Chairperson of the Commission of Inquiry on Syria, talks to the media during a press conference, before presenting the last report by the Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic on the human rights situation in Syria at the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, March 13, 2023. (AP)
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UN: World after Earthquake Was Slow to Send Aid to Syria

Brazilian Paulo Pinheiro, Chairperson of the Commission of Inquiry on Syria, talks to the media during a press conference, before presenting the last report by the Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic on the human rights situation in Syria at the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, March 13, 2023. (AP)
Brazilian Paulo Pinheiro, Chairperson of the Commission of Inquiry on Syria, talks to the media during a press conference, before presenting the last report by the Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic on the human rights situation in Syria at the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Monday, March 13, 2023. (AP)

The international community and the Syrian government did not act quickly last month to help people in need in the opposition-held northwest after a deadly earthquake hit Türkiye and Syria, a UN commission said Monday.

The Feb. 6 magnitude 7.8 earthquake and strong aftershocks that ravaged southern Türkiye and northwestern Syria killed more than 50,000 people, including over 6,000 in Syria.

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria said there should be an investigation into why it took a week to open border crossings for aid to flow. It added that war-torn Syria “now needs a comprehensive ceasefire that is fully respected” for civilians, including aid workers, to be safe.

It took a week for the UN and Syria’s President Bashar Assad’s government to agree on opening two more border crossings into the opposition-held region bordering Türkiye as many people were still under the rubble.

“Since the earthquake, we have seen many acts to help victims by the Syrians themselves,” commission member Paulo Pinheiro said during a news conference in Geneva.

He added that “we also witnessed a complete failure by the government and the international community including United Nations to rapidly direct urgent lifesaving aid for northwest Syria."

“Many days were lost without any aid to survivors of the earthquake,” Pinheiro said. “Actors didn’t rapidly direct urgent lifesaving aid to northwest Syria which became the epicenter of neglect.”

A week after the earthquake, the UN announced that Syrian President Bashir Assad agreed to open for three months two new crossing points from Türkiye to the country’s opposition-held northwest to deliver desperately needed aid and equipment to help earthquake victims.

Before that, the UN had only been allowed to deliver aid to the northwest Idlib area through a single crossing at Bab Al-Hawa, at Syrian ally Russia’s insistence.

“They failed to deliver international emergency support including rescue teams and equipment in the vital first week after the earthquake,” Pinheiro said, adding that “Syrians, for good reasons, felt abandoned and neglected by those who (are) supposed to protect them in their most desperate time.”

“Many voices are rightly calling ... for an investigation and accountability to understand how this failure, this disaster happened beyond the earthquake,” Pinheiro said.

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Lavrov: Moscow Maintains Communication with Damascus, Will Not Withdraw from the Region

Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)
Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)
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Lavrov: Moscow Maintains Communication with Damascus, Will Not Withdraw from the Region

Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)
Syrian forces stop a car at a checkpoint after taking control of the port of Tartus earlier this month. (AFP)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to the Middle East, stating that Moscow “has not and will not withdraw from the region.” He emphasized ongoing communication with Syria’s new leadership and expressed readiness to support the political process in the country.

Speaking at a press conference in Moscow on Tuesday, Lavrov attributed Syria’s deteriorating situation to the previous regime, blaming its unwillingness to implement reforms and share power with the opposition.

“The refusal of the former Syrian regime to make any changes or share power with the opposition was one of the primary reasons for its collapse,” he said.

Lavrov noted that over the past decade, since President Bashar al-Assad requested Russian intervention in the Syrian war and the launch of the Astana peace process, Damascus had delayed advancing the political path.

“Despite support from Arab nations, Syrian authorities showed reluctance to move forward politically and sought to maintain the status quo,” he explained.

He highlighted Russia’s repeated calls for the Syrian government to engage with the Constitutional Committee, established during the 2018 Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi, and to actively work on drafting a new constitution.

Lavrov also pointed to economic challenges exacerbated by sanctions, which have stifled Syria’s economy, and US control over oil-rich eastern regions. Resources were exploited to fuel separatist ambitions in northeastern Syria, he remarked.

Moreover, the FM revealed details of Moscow’s earlier discussions with Kurdish groups, reiterating his country’s position that Kurdish rights should be guaranteed within the constitutional frameworks of Syria, Iraq, Iran and Türkiye.

He argued that the previous Syrian regime’s reluctance to engage in political dialogue resulted in stalled reforms proposed by the United Nations, Moscow and Cairo platforms, and Istanbul-based opposition groups. This inaction, he said, created a vacuum that ultimately led to the collapse.

Furthermore, he dismissed claims that his country’s withdrawal from Syria would signal its departure from the Middle East.

“Russia has not and will not leave the region,” he declared. Without directly addressing the status of Russian military bases in Syria, Lavrov emphasized: “Our embassy never left Damascus, and we maintain ongoing communication with the authorities.”

He also stressed Russia’s willingness to facilitate inclusive dialogue involving all national, political and sectarian factions, as well as relevant international stakeholders. Lavrov underscored that recent discussions with Türkiye, Gulf nations, and other parties demonstrated widespread agreement that Russia and Iran must be involved in the Syrian peace process if sustainable results are to be achieved.

For his part, Mikhail Bogdanov, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Presidential Envoy to the Middle East and Africa, reaffirmed Russia’s focus on developments in Syria, describing relations with Damascus as a “priority of Russian foreign policy.”

Reports on Tuesday suggested that Bogdanov might soon lead a Russian delegation to Damascus. However, a Russian diplomatic source informed Asharq Al-Awsat that no date for the visit has been confirmed. The visit, which was reportedly postponed, would mark the first by a senior Russian official to Damascus since the fall of Assad’s regime in December.

Meanwhile, media reports indicated that Moscow is facing logistical challenges in withdrawing military equipment from Syria, due to restrictions imposed by Syrian authorities on the movement of Russian ships in territorial waters.

According to the English-language edition of RT, the Russian ship Sparta 2, designated to transport military equipment and weapons, was denied entry to the Port of Tartus, where Russia maintains its only overseas naval base.