Earthquake leaves millions homeless in Syria

By Nathan Morley

A UN official has said 5.3 million people in Syria may have been left homeless by Monday’s devastating earthquake.

Sivanka Dhanapala, UNHCR representative in Syria, estimates that 5.37 million people affected by the quake will need shelter assistance in the whole of Syria.

This huge number comes to a population already suffering mass displacement.

As it stands, UNHCR is focusing on the provision of shelter and relief items to ensure that the centres for the displaced had adequate facilities, such as tents, plastic sheeting, thermal blankets, sleeping mats and winter clothing.

Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary General, described it as an ‘almost once in a lifetime earthquake hitting a country that has been in conflict for 12 years’.

‘A lot of the infrastructure is either destroyed or damaged, that includes roads or bridges,’ he added.

Death toll continues to rise

Over 24,000 people are now known to have died in the disaster and around 121,000 emergency services are involved in rescue and relief operations. Their work has been highlighted by a series of miraculous rescues which have provided moments of joy amidst the heartbreak of the calamity.

In the Turkish province of Hatay, for example, six members of the same family were rescued after spending 101 hours buried under a mountain of rubble. Not far away, rescue crews also plucked a 10-day-old boy and his mother from the ruins of a crumpled building.

Meanwhile, the Damascus radio was quoted as saying the Assad government has now given permission for international aid to be sent to earthquake victims in rebel-held areas across government lines.

At the same time, the US Treasury Department has issued a license to allow earthquake-related relief to get through that would otherwise be barred by sanctions on Syria.

Speaking to reports, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said: ‘US sanctions in Syria will not stand in the way of life-saving efforts for the Syrian people’.

‘While US sanctions programmes already contain robust exemptions for humanitarian efforts, today Treasury is issuing a blanket General License to authorise earthquake relief efforts so that those providing assistance can focus on what’s needed most: saving lives and rebuilding.’