The devastating affect of 12 years of civil battle has been compounded by the 6 February earthquake which has left tens of 1000’s of individuals useless and tens of millions extra in want of help on each side of the border between Syria and Türkiye. 

WHO’s Regional Director for the Japanese Mediterranean Area, Dr. Ahmed Al Mandhari, was simply within the historic metropolis of Aleppo, in Syria. 

“The destruction is very large and the devastation is indescribable. 

The earthquake hit at a time when wants throughout Syria are at their highest for the reason that battle started 12 years again. For instance, virtually 50 per cent of the nation’s healthcare amenities should not functioning due to the battle and now extra essential medical gear has been destroyed by the earthquake.  

Many well being care workers had already left due to the battle and people who stayed have struggled to hold out their work. 

We estimate that round 25 million folks have been impacted by the earthquake in the entire of Syria. In Aleppo, for instance, preliminary estimates of the numbers point out that greater than 200,000 folks are actually homeless. We’ve got met a lot of them. We’ve got visited many of those broken areas and we have now seen folks residing, exterior in very chilly climate.  

The truth is, a household of 16 was residing in a single tent. We’ve got seen households packed into stadiums, households in shelters and in very small rooms.  

Negotiation with Syrian authorities

WHO and different UN businesses have been on the bottom from day one. We managed to offer provides to 16 hospitals in northwestern Syria by way of our NGO companions.  

Two days in the past, we supplied a cargo of 35 metric tonnes of trauma kits and different medical provides for infections. We might be sending extra from our provide hub in Dubai. 

We mobilized our groups to go and work with their counterparts within the ministries of well being and the healthcare amenities.  

We’ve got been negotiating with the authorities within the Authorities-controlled areas to guarantee that the provides are pretty distributed to the healthcare amenities and to get cross-border entry to the earthquake-affected areas.

Gasoline disaster

One other vital problem is the continued gasoline disaster that has effects on everybody. Hospitals, which depend on mills, are struggling as a result of they’re unable to offer warmth; the shortage electrical energy makes it tough for these hospitals to perform correctly. 

We’re additionally going through the next danger of the unfold of water and foodborne illnesses because of the disrupted water provide; final 12 months we had a cholera outbreak due to contaminated water.  

The opposite danger is the unfold of hepatitis, on account of contaminated water and meals provides.

And we’re involved in regards to the transmission of illnesses in crowded shelters. We visited one of many stadiums which is stuffed with households, and docs there instructed us that youngsters are complaining of head lice.  

Head lice began to unfold among the many households there as a result of it is extremely, very packed. 

I am very frightened in regards to the harsh winter climate with extraordinarily chilly temperatures. There are folks residing exterior in tents which aren’t heated. I met an previous girl and I noticed her fingers are cracked with bruises and once I touched her hand it was very dry due to the chilly climate and the shortage of heat.

Dropping future generations

This earthquake led to a further disaster for Syrians, no matter the place they’re situated, whether or not within the Authorities managed areas or within the non-Authorities managed areas.  

Syrians are the identical wherever they’re, and so they can’t tolerate extra shocks and disaster. We should always actually stand robust and say sufficient is sufficient. 

We can’t as human beings, tolerate Syrians struggling a number of crises and dropping lives. We’re dropping youngsters. We’re dropping the longer term era of Syria, as I mentioned, no matter the place they’re situated.  

So allow us to allow us to deliver the eye of the worldwide group and guarantee that we actually take part in saving the lives of all Syrians. 

With no political, non secular, cultural, societal, financial affiliations, human beings are the identical no matter the place they reside.”