UN calls for 'immediate ceasefire' in Syria to facilitate aid to earthquake victims

Europe 1 with AFP 4:05 p.m., February 10, 2023

The High Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday called for "an immediate ceasefire" in Syria to facilitate aid to victims of the earthquakes that devastated part of the country earlier this week.

Volker Türk "calls for an immediate ceasefire in Syria and full respect for human rights and humanitarian law obligations so that aid can reach everyone," said a tweet from the High Commission.

The UN has called on the Syrian regime to open more crossings

“At this terrible time in #Turkey & #Syria, we call for the urgent delivery of assistance to ALL those in need,” he insists.

The civil war that has been tearing Syria apart since 2011 has complicated access for humanitarian aid, particularly to areas under rebel control in the north-west of the country.

For the time being, most of the aid intended for this area comes from Turkey and must pass through Bab al-Hawa, the only authorized crossing point between Syria and its Turkish neighbor.

The damage caused by the earthquakes to the road infrastructure on the Turkish side makes the delivery of supplies very difficult.

The UN has repeatedly called on President Assad's regime to open other crossing points to speed up relief for the millions of people affected by the earthquakes, many of whom were already living in very precarious conditions even before the natural disaster.