Syria agrees to open crossings for earthquake relief

The UN says Syria's government has agreed to open two more border crossings to allow aid into the country.

The United Nations said it was agreed to open new crossings - in Bab al-Salam and Al Ra'ee on the border with Turkey after successful talks with President Assad.

Stéphane Dujarric, a spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said, "We hope that the agreement will last as long as we need to use it. We will start using it as quickly as possible and I don't want to make any assumptions."

UN welcomes decision

Speaking in New York, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he "welcomed the decision today by President Bashar al-Assad of Syria to open the two crossing points of Bab Al-Salam and Al Ra'ee from Turkey to northwest Syria for an initial period of three months to allow for the timely delivery of humanitarian aid."

However, it remains unclear when the crossings will open. As devastated north-western rebel-controlled areas of Syria remain isolated, the move will come as some relief for the 4 million inhabitants of the region.

The lack of medical equipment continues to limit the capabilities of the Syrian Red Crescent.

Relief efforts enter humanitarian phase

With so many survivors turned into refugees, the United Nations head of relief said that as efforts enter a humanitarian phase, the primary goal is to urgently cover such needs as shelter, food, and schooling.

The U.N. plans to launch appeals this week to finance humanitarian operations for the next three months.

According to the World Health Organization, about 26 million people have been impacted by the disaster.