United Nations, US:

The UN chief mentioned Monday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has agreed to open two extra border crossings to permit in help to assist victims of the earthquake that has left greater than 35,000 useless within the area.

Earlier than the earthquake struck, virtually the entire essential humanitarian help for the greater than 4 million individuals dwelling in rebel-controlled areas of northwestern Syria was being delivered from Turkey by one conduit — the Bab al-Hawa crossing.

“Opening these crossing factors — together with facilitating humanitarian entry, accelerating visa approvals and easing journey between hubs — will permit extra help to go in, quicker,” mentioned UN Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres.

He mentioned Assad had agreed to open the 2 crossing factors of Bab Al-Salam and Al Raee from Turkey to northwest Syria for an preliminary interval of three months to permit for the well timed supply of humanitarian help.

Guterres famous that with the toll from the earthquake nonetheless rising, and with survivors uncovered to harsh winter situations in war-torn Syria, “delivering meals, well being, diet, safety, shelter, winter provides and different life-saving provides to all of the hundreds of thousands of individuals affected is of the utmost urgency.”

The announcement got here a day after World Well being Group chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus met Assad in Damascus to debate the response to the devastating earthquake that hit Syria and Turkey final week.

The state of affairs is especially dire within the rebel-held space within the northwest of Syria, which can not obtain help convoys from government-held components of the nation with out Damascus’s authorization.

The lone border crossing open to shuttle help from Turkey additionally noticed its operations disrupted by the quake.

Humanitarian help in rebel-held areas normally arrives by Turkey by way of a cross-border mechanism created in 2014 by a UN Safety Council decision.

But it surely has lengthy been contested by Damascus and its ally Moscow, who see it as a violation of Syrian sovereignty.

Underneath stress from Russia and China, the variety of crossing factors has been diminished over time from 4 to 1.

The WHO chief mentioned Sunday after assembly Assad that “the compounding crises of battle, Covid, cholera, financial decline and now the earthquake have taken an insufferable toll.”

The US mentioned new border openings can be a optimistic for Syria if Assad is critical in regards to the pledge to open them.

“If the regime is critical about this, and if the regime is prepared to place these phrases into motion, that may be a very good factor for the Syrian individuals,” State Division spokesman Ned Value informed reporters.

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