‘No aid has arrived’, says Syria’s the White Helmets

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – No assistance has yet arrived for the victims of the powerful earthquake in Syria even though 72 hours had passed since the natural disaster, a spokesperson of a volunteer group, dubbed the White Helmets, told Kurdistan 24 on Thursday.

Over 3,550 people have so far been killed by the quake in Syria while about 4,000 others are wounded, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights’ tallies.

“No aid has yet arrived to us. All that has been done so far is from the locals,” Ahmed Rasheed, a spokesperson for the Syrian Civil Defense – also known as the White Helmets – told Kurdistan 24 in the predominantly-Kurdish city of Afrin, currently held by Turkish-backed rebels. 

Around 300 houses have completely collapsed while another 600 are no longer habitable in Jindires town, according to the volunteer.

The local residents have been cooperating with the members of the local rescue teams to save those trapped under the piles.

The freezing winter weather coupled with closed checkpoints and the destruction of the roads leading to northwest Syria has all hampered the delivery of aid to the quake-stricken areas.

Despite calling for medical and rescue assistance, the Syrian government conditioned that all those help have to come through Damascus.

Analysts say Turkey is better positioned compared to Syria in dealing with similar disasters, as the country had better emergency response experience. The Arab country had already been rocked by a 12-year-long civil war, leaving much of the country in a dilapidated state.