Syria’s situation on the ground following the deadly earthquakes may be catastrophic, as more than 4 million people already face complex humanitarian situations in the war-torn country. The death toll from the earthquakes surpassed 20,000 in Türkiye and Syria on Thursday.

Many of the most earthquake-stricken areas in Syria have experienced mass displacement and food insecurity for more than a decade. After the earthquakes damaged the only humanitarian aid corridor, Syria’s access to international aid remains limited amid ongoing Western sanctions.

Humanitarians have reported an urgent need for logistics, skilled rescue teams, and temporary shelters. Syrian Arab Red Crescent said Syria needs heavy machinery, ambulances, and firetrucks to continue its rescue operations and clear rubble. Only 30 and 40 ambulances are responding to the disaster in Syria.

“So even those countries who want to send humanitarian assistance, they cannot use the airplane cargo because of the sanctions,” said Syria’s UN envoy on Tuesday in New York, calling for lifting the sanctions.

“Aid, life-saving aid, is desperately needed by civilians wherever they are irrespective of borders and boundaries,” UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen told journalists in Geneva, urging the international community not to politicize the assistance and focus on “those who we can still save”.

The UN aid convoy reached Syria on Thursday for the first time since devastating earthquakes cut off supply lines on Monday. The recuse efforts continue as the chances of finding survivors are diminishing fast. Many experts warned the death toll is likely to increase dramatically in Syria as many are still under the rubble in the severe winter conditions. Due to the lack of equipment, many rescue teams struggled to dig through the rubble with their hands. Many towns are still waiting for rescue teams.

Meanwhile, Algeria, Afghanistan, China, Egypt, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and the Vatican are sending aid and rapid assistance to Syria.

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