Damascus allows humanitarian aid in rebel territory

Syrian state media report that President Assad wants to allow humanitarian aid to areas held by insurgents. That part of the earthquake zone in northern Syria is home to some two million refugees displaced by the civil war. The aid is provided by the United Nations, the Red Cross and the Syrian Red Crescent.

A civil war has been raging in Syria since 2011. President Assad’s regime is fighting various opposition groups with the help of Iran and Russia. The earthquakes at the beginning of this week caused extensive damage in both government and rebel-held areas in Syria.

The rebel area is hardly accessible for aid convoys from Turkey. The border has been closed for years: only one of the three border crossings has been kept open with the help of a UN resolution. This border crossing connects the heavily affected region of Hatay with the Syrian town of Bab al Hawa.

It was precisely that border crossing that had become impassable due to the earthquake. Only yesterday, after emergency repairs to the road, six trucks were able to cross the border with Syria for the first time. Fourteen other trucks with goods crossed the border at Bab al Hawa from the Turkish city of Gaziantep today, the UN’s International Organization for Migration reports.

Consultations are underway with Turkey about the temporary opening of more border crossings to the rebel area in Syria. The Netherlands is also in contact with Turkey about this, says Prime Minister Rutte. Turkey is also considering reopening the border to Syrian government territory.

Syrian President Assad would prefer that all aid be brought to Damascus, says journalist Fernande van Tets, who worked in Syria for years, on Radio 1.

“The damage is greatest in northern Syria and Turkey. Many roads are broken there, so send the goods to Damascus and we’ll make sure it ends up well, he says. Unfortunately, history shows that that doesn’t happen often.” The reason that the UN only provides aid from Turkey is precisely because Assad cuts off all aid to the rebel area completely, according to Van Tets.

Qutaiba Yassine, a Syrian journalist who works from Turkey, also confirms this to NOS. According to him, some of the relief goods never reach their final destination, but are simply sold. “You can now see the following on online advertisements: tents for sale, diapers from Saudi Arabia and dates from the Emirates for sale. The market is open.”

Part of the aid is also skimmed off by the regime, says Middle East expert Brigitte Herremans. “For example, by charging too high exchange rates for international organizations. It is estimated that about 50 cents of every dollar would stick with the regime.”

According to Middle East experts, President Assad is also using the natural disaster to try to get international sanctions against Syria off the table. Today, four days after the disaster, Assad made his first appearance in the disaster area. He visited the city of Aleppo and told the assembled press that Western sanctions against Syria are hindering aid.

“The single most important reason why the civilian population is suffering and why there is a large-scale humanitarian crisis is the Assad regime,” says Herremans. “And those sanctions have a very large-scale impact on that. But the perfidious regime will of course say: you see, there will be no help, those sanctions ensure that our citizens remain in need.”