A man carries an earthquake victim in Besnia, a village near the Turkish border, Idlib province, Syria. Photo: AP/Ghaith Alsayed.
On Monday, February 6, Syria condemned the negative impact of illegal sanctions against the country, which increase the suffering of those affected by the recent earthquake. “The impacts of unilateral sanctions increase the suffering,” said Syrian Minister for Foreign Affairs Faisal al-Miqdad, quoted by the official Syrian news agency SANA. The earthquake has killed more than one thousand people in Syria.
Speaking at a meeting with representatives of organizations and offices of the United Nations (UN) and non-governmental entities in Damascus, the minister addressed the measures taken by the government and the directives of President Bashar al-Assad to deal with the impact of the earthquake that shook northern Syria at dawn on Monday.
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The Syrian foreign minister emphasized the readiness of the Syrian state to pave the way for international organizations to provide humanitarian aid to the affected Syrian citizens.
Syrians have been affected by several years of bloody civil war promoted by the United States, Europe and Türkiye in an attempt to oust President Bashar al-Assad, igniting extremist militant groups such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS. They have also suffered years of incessant and illegal US and European sanctions. The earthquake happened in the peak of winter, with low temperatures reaching below freezing, making the situation even more dire.
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The representatives of international organizations have expressed their deep condolences to the victims’ families and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured. They expressed their willingness to provide basic necessities to the affected people.
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook several border provinces of Türkiye and Syria early Monday morning, leaving thousands of people dead and injured. It also collapsed several thousand residential buildings, roads and infrastructure.
The earthquake was felt throughout Syria, causing panic among residents who abandoned their buildings and went to the streets and squares.
(Alba Ciudad) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SF
