“The obstacle is not the Western sanctions of the regime in Damascus and that the international community does not want to help, but that there is instability in the earthquake-affected territories of Syria. The power there – whether it is from supporters of President Bashar al-Assad or those who are against him – from both sides there are gangs. It is very, very difficult to reach the areas destroyed by the earthquake.” This is what Nidal Alghafari, a PR expert, writer and director of Syrian origin, told BNR.
According to him, the situation in Syria is very tragic. “It’s apocalyptic!” he added, sharing stories from his relatives living in southern Syria.
He pointed out that the problem is that people cannot be rescued because professional rescue teams, trained and with dogs, cannot go to the site of the devastating earthquake.
Alghafari opined that no one can guarantee the safety of the rescuers the West may send to Syria.
“After many inquiries and checks, I am publishing a link through which funds can be donated to help some of those affected by the earthquake in the northern part of Syria. Your donations will go to the “White Helmets” – volunteer rescuers, who helped with the destruction caused by the civil war. I trust them!” Nidal Alghafari wrote earlier on his Facebook profile.
Nidal Alghafari emphasized that there is a great shortage of fuel in Syria and therefore the rescue operations are not with heavy equipment, but with “picks, shovels and bare hands”.
The official government in Syria does not care about the people, he said, and explained that the Assad government “has abdicated from any action because the country is in a very severe financial and economic crisis.”
For years, aid for the poor in Syria from the international community and the UN has not reached the people, “usually these products are taken and sold to enrich the merchants of death”.
According to him, there will not be a new wave of refugees from Syria to Europe.
