Two weeks after the two earthquakes that killed more than 46,000 people in Turkey and Syria, international humanitarian aid is struggling to arrive in Syria.
After 12 years of war, the earthquakes of February 6 brought to its knees a country already in the grip of a serious humanitarian, economic and security crisis.
Under international sanctions since 2011, Syria is still divided between the areas under the control of President Bashar al-Assad and those in the hands of the rebels.
Despite calls for an urgent increase in humanitarian aid, trucks are struggling to cross the Turkish border, including through the crossing points guaranteed by the United Nations.
In Damascus, only planes loaded with humanitarian aid chartered by Arab countries arrive regularly: Algeria, Tunisia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon...
Western countries, they remain absent subscribers.
The United States, France and many European countries refuse to provide direct aid to the Syrian government after years of severing all diplomatic ties.
Dr. Nabil Antaki, gastroenterologist in Aleppo, co-founder with brother Georges Sabé of the association Les Maristes Bleus, denounces a "scandal" and calls for the "lifting of international sanctions" against an already bloodless country.
France 24: What is the situation in Aleppo
?
Dr Nabil Antaki:
There was not much damage compared to the Turkish cities of Maras (nickname Kahramanmaras), Antakya and Gaziantep, which were much more severely affected.
In Aleppo, a total of 60 buildings have been destroyed, 200 must be demolished because they are no longer habitable, and thousands of others, cracked, must be restored.
There are hundreds of thousands of homeless people.
On the night of the earthquake, at 4:17 a.m., everyone rushed to the streets in their pajamas, in the rain, in the freezing cold.
Everyone was very scared.
People took refuge in churches, mosques, convents, schools.
At the Blue Marists, we opened our doors half an hour after the earthquake.
In a few hours, 1,000 people came to take refuge with us.
Then, little by little,
people began to return home when their homes were not too badly damaged.
But on Monday evening, the new earthquake was felt very strongly and everyone came out into the streets.
We have a thousand people again among the Blue Marists.
We don't have enough room.
Everyone is very scared.
Two weeks after the earthquakes, what are the needs in Aleppo
?
There are only 80 seriously injured in Aleppo.
From a medical point of view, there is no shortage of basic products.
The Syrian pharmaceutical industry is quite efficient despite the war, 90% of the products exist.
What we lack, on the other hand, are the devices, which are outdated and which we cannot import because of the sanctions.
However, medical equipment is officially exempt.
It would take oil, fuel.
We are rationed.
We are entitled to 20 liters every 25 days.
In December, the government had to close schools, universities and administrations for a week because there were no means of transport.
We don't have heating oil.
Electricity is rationed, there are only two hours a day.
We are terribly cold this winter.
Many voices are raised for international aid to be unblocked. What is it concretely on the ground
?
The international aid affair is truly outrageous.
We received help from Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq but Western countries did not send anything, claiming that they cannot help a country ruled by [President Bashar al-] Assad.
It's as if the Syrians here don't suffer as much as the people who are on the rebel side or in Turkey.
It was absolutely necessary to separate politics from humanitarianism, which Western governments have not done.
It's scandalous.
The Quai d'Orsay would have released 12 million euros, half of which would go to international organizations and the other half to NGOs working in the field.
We haven't seen anything yet.
The United States said it had eased sanctions to allow humanitarian aid for six months.
But in principle, humanitarian and medical equipment are exempt from sanctions.
It's hypocritical.
Why lighten them if it is exempted?
How do Syrians experience it
?
Syrians are angry with the West.
On the other hand, there was an unparalleled generosity among Syrians, especially in the diaspora.
At the Blue Marist accommodation center, we received mattresses, food products, blankets sent by Syrian NGOs from Damascus, Homs.
We received many calls from Syrians abroad who wanted to send funds, materials.
This unparalleled solidarity mirrors the lack of humanity and generosity of Westerners.
What are the living conditions of Syrians after 12
years of war
?
The whole country needs to be rebuilt.
It was already destroyed by the war, but with the earthquake, the economy, which was already moribund, came to a standstill.
Inflation is terrible: the euro, which was at 60 Syrian pounds, rose at the height of the conflict to 7,000 Syrian pounds [more than 2,600 Monday, February 20, editor's note].
According to UN figures, 90% of people live below the poverty line, 60% are food insecure, people cannot make ends meet.
Since the war, 80% of people have survived thanks to the generosity of NGOs which, like us, provide monthly food baskets, medical aid and schooling.
Barely 5% of the population can pay for their food and accommodation themselves.
The country is impoverished.
We need the sanctions to be lifted for there to be foreign investment in order to allow reconstruction.
Any financial transaction is prohibited.
Today, what is the state of mind of the Syrians
?
The Syrians are suffering, they are exhausted.
Twelve years of war, then the Covid, then an epidemic of cholera and now the earthquakes... People can't take it anymore.
People dream of leaving the country, which has already been emptied of its elite.
They tell us that they lived better during the war than now.
It is time to end this suffering by lifting the sanctions to allow investments.
Sanctions are absolutely useless.
They were imposed on Cuba for 60 years, it didn't change the regime.
We imposed them on North Korea, it didn't change the regime.
They are ineffective.
They make people suffer.
Leaders are not affected.
It is the people who pay the price for these sanctions.
It does not encourage peace negotiations, respect for human rights, or fight against corruption.
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