Syrian Humanitarian & Relief Organizations are Standing Alone
An Immediate International Intervention is Needed to Provide Humanitarian Relief to the Affected Areas in Northwest Syria
Statement by Syrian and Non-Syrian Organizations and Groups on the Current Situation in Northwest Syria following the Türkiye-Syria Earthquakes
As more than 96 hours have passed since the initial earthquake hit both Türkiye and Syria, the hope of rescuing more lives dwindles drastically, especially since international rescue teams have not been able to access Northwest Syria despite the time sensitivity to do search and rescue operations to find any survivors under the rubble. Local teams in Northwest Syria are literally standing alone responding to this catastrophe. Usually, humanitarian organizations and coalitions based in southern Türkiye would provide all the necessary support such as supply lines, logistics, program management, and operations. As a result of the earthquakes, the coordination efforts led by Türkiye- based bodies have been severely affected, leading to a major disruption of the humanitarian mechanisms. A tragically significant number of humanitarian workers from these supporting organizations and coalitions have lost their lives, while the ones who survived are working tirelessly in dire conditions either from shelters or inside their vehicles, hoping their voices might be heard.
A catastrophe of such magnitude requires a concerted international effort. The preliminary statistics regarding Northwest Syria, published at the time of writing, are disastrous: the death toll approaches 2,030 and is expected to increase as hours go by. Over 11,000 injured people were rescued and admitted to the overstretched hospitals. More than 2,000 residential buildings were destroyed and 5,100 buildings have been partially damaged, leaving 11,000 families homeless across the northern region in Syria. Humanitarian workers and rescue teams in Northwest Syria are currently working hard, in extremely difficult conditions, amid severe shortages of capacities and equipment, and limited capacity of the health sector. While we highly appreciate the deployment of international efforts and support in response to the mounting humanitarian needs in southern Türkiye, as well as the current delivery of international rescue teams and humanitarian aid to Damascus, the unaddressed extensive damage in Northwest Syria is absolutely devastating. Local rescue teams in Northwest Syria are still operating, on their own until this very moment, using their limited local capacities and resources without any immediate international rescue teams or aid convoys needed to properly respond in over 56 areas affected by the disaster. Bureaucratic and political obstacles delay the international response to the tragic situation in Northwest Syria, costing many innocent lives that could otherwise be saved.
The undersigned organizations urge the following:
● To the UN Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres, and the Emergency
Relief Coordinator, Mr. Martin Griffiths:
We urge the United Nations Secretariat to address a direct mandate to all international mechanisms and agencies, to support overcoming the logistical difficulties and enable the use of all viable border crossings to reach the affected population in Northwest Syria, specifically by:
1. Directing the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) for prompt intervention across borders to Northwest Syria, and directing all available international teams to access along with their equipment to support civil defense teams in search and rescue efforts for those who are still trapped under the rubble waiting to be found and rescued;
2. Directing the United Nations Disaster Assessment Coordination Mechanism (UNDAC) to immediately intervene across the border from Türkiye to all affected sites in Northwest Syria, to coordinate the response efforts proportionally to the scale of the emergency requirements;
3. Allocating the appropriate amount of funds from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (UNCERF) to the response in Northwest Syria, ensuring a maximum flexibility in light of the critical situation of the cross-border response to Northwest Syria, and allotting all the required resources to Syrian humanitarian organizations operating in Northwest Syria;
4. Directing all UN agencies and their relief programs to respond with the full necessary flexibility in light of the time-sensitive emergency situation, overcoming logistical and bureaucratic hurdles and using all the crossing points in southern Türkiye towards the Syrian lands.
● To the European Union:
Including Northwest Syria as part of the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism that has been activated in Syria, especially vis-à-vis the entry of emergency supplies, equipment and rescue teams across borders to support local rescue teams in Northwestern Syria.
● To the United States of America:
Using all the US logistical capabilities in the Middle East, in coordination with neighboring countries, to transfer aid to their local warehouses and provide all the needed assistance regarding logistical support to all humanitarian agencies to overcome constraints in accessing Northwest Syria.
● To the Turkish authorities:
Working on repairing and reopening the damaged roads leading to the Syrian crossings, and providing all facilitations for immediate access of the international rescue teams, medical teams and all the equipment necessary to carry local search and rescue operations in Northwest Syria.
● To all humanitarian funding mechanisms, donors and international partners:
Providing substantial financial injections specifically to the earthquake response, exceeding the previously allocated amounts to the programs specified within the Syria Humanitarian Response Plan for the year 2023, commensurating with the scale of the humanitarian response to the earthquake, and addressing the medium and long-term consequences of the multiple earthquakes, especially vis-à-vis housing rehabilitation, in order to alleviate the foreseeable exacerbation of the already raging shelter problems in Northwest Syria
The Co-ordinations bodies/Networks/Alliances Signed
1. American Relief Coalition for Syria
2. Asociación Coordinadora Comunitaria de Servicios para la Salud, A.C.C.S.S.
3. CRGR Centro América
4. CSOs’ Initiative for Localisation and Optimization of response in Yemen
5. Idleb Health Directorate
6. National Alliance of Humanitarian Actors Bangladesh (NAHAB)
7. National Society for Earthquake Technology – Nepal ((NSET)
8. Nigeria Network of NGOs
9. Palestinian Farmers Union
10.Palestinian NGOs Network
11.Syrian Alliance for Volunteer Teams
12.Syrian European Forum
13.Syrian Network in Denamrk
14.Syrian Networks League – SNL
15.The Syrian Charities and Associations Network of the UK (SCAN UK)
16.Union of German Syrian Associations
17.Voices For Displaced Syrians Forum
18.Women and Child Protection Network
19.Women Protection Network
20.YDN-Yemeni Development Network for NGOs
21.Young Global Citizens Assembly e.V.
Humanitarian and Civil Society Organizations
22.Ablam Community Committee
23.ABS DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION FOR WOMAN AND CHILD
24.Access Center for Human Rights – ACHR
25.AFKAR Organization for Educational and Cultural Development
26.Alameen for humanitarian support
27.Alataa charitable society
28.Albonian Almarsos Humanitarian Organization
29.Alghad Charity
30.Ali Alhadmah
31.Alrowwad Cultural and Arts Society
32.Alseeraj Sweden
33.Al-Sham Humanitarian Foundation
34.Alzahraa Society
35.Amal Healing and Advocacy Center
36.Amwaj Association for Community Development and Improvement
37.And hope remains
38.ANURDO
39.Assistance Mission for Africa
40.ATAA Humanitarian Relief Association
41.Bait Lahia Youth Association Center
42.Basamat for Development
43.Basmeh & Zeitooneh
44.Baytna
45.Big Heart
46.BINAA Organization for Development
47.Bisan Center for Research and Development
48.Bonyan for Youth and Development
49.Bousla for Development & Innovation
50.Caesar Families Association
51.COAR
52.Community Media Center
53.Culture free thought organisation
54.CWLRCP
55.Darya Organization
56.Dawlaty
57.Demokratik Kadın Örgütü
58.Deutsch Syrischer Verein DSV
59.Dhaka Ahsania Mission
60.Dozana
61.Dr.Haider Abdel Shafi Center
62.EIPISA
63.Elaf for reilaf and development
64.Equity and Empowerment
65.Eradah Organization to Combat Torture and Forced Disappearance
66.EvE Association
67.FAYA Nepal
68.FECODESA
69.Field Medical Foundation
70.Finjan
71.Future Resilience and Development Foundation (FRAD)
72.Ghiras Al-Nahda
73.Global Organization for Civil Society Advancement
74.Green cranks Team
75.Greenmind Initiative for Agriculture and Sustainable Environment
76.Greenspring Development Initiative
77.Hand in Hand for Aid & Development – HIHFAD
78.Hathi Hayati Volunteering Group
79.Health And Nutrition Development Society-HANDS
80.Hope Revival Organization
81.Horan Foundation
82.Hospitals Advocacy Campaign
83.Human Access-Yemen
84.Humanista Volunteer Team
85.Humanitarian Development Aid Org.-HUDA
86.Humanitarian Relief and Development Council(HRDC)
87.Humanitrian care Charity
88.Hurras network
89.I am for my country foundation
90.Ihsan Relief and Development
91.INSAN Association Defending Human Rights
92.Insan Charity Organization
93.International Blue Crescent Relief and Development Foundation (IBC)
94.International Humanitarian Relief (IHR)
95.International humanitarian relief-IHR
96.jameiat bashir alsalam lileamal alansanii
97.Jana Watan
98.Jewels Trust Fund
99.Jumpstart Refugee Talent
100. Justice & Sustainable Development
101. Justice paths
102. Khadija Foundation for Development
103. Lamsat ward
104. Lifeline Humanitarian Association
105. Local Development and Small-Projects Support (LDSPS)
106. MAAN ORG.
107. Maram Foundation for Relief and Development
108. Mattar
109. MedGlobal
110. Media
111. Medical Mercy Foundation
112. Medical Mercy Foundation (MMF), YEMEN
113. Mehad
114. nabd alhayat charitable society
115. Nabd Development and Evolution Organization(NDEO)
116. Nabni
117. Nahda Makers Organization
118. Nasaem Khair Organization (NKO)
119. Neda’a foundation for development
120. New Followership New Africa Initiative
121. Nexus Action
122. Nima Relief
123. Olive Branch
124. One heart
125. Organization ZOOM IN
126. Palestinian Al Nakheel Association for Progress and Development
127. Pcrod
128. Peace and Justice for Syria
129. Physicians across continents PAC
130. Progress Organization for Development
131. Qurantaj
132. Rahma World Wide
133. Relief Experts Association (UDER)
134. Sadad Humanitarian Organization
135. Sadad humanitarian organization
136. Safa Development Assessment
137. Salsabil Charity Association
138. SAMS
139. Sanabel Organization/ Başaklar Derneği
140. Science and cultural center
141. Seraj Al-Aqsa voluntary team
142. shuaa developmental foundation
143. SKT organization
144. Social Development International SDI
145. Society ov women graduates in Gaza strip
146. Souriyat Across Borders (SAB)
147. Space of hope organization
148. Space Of Peace
149. Srd
150. Sroor
151. SSRD
152. syria students body
153. Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression
154. Syrian Expatriates Medical Assosiation – SEMA
155. Syrian forum
156. Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR)
157. Syrian network in Denmark
158. Syrian Sweden association
159. Syrian Woman Association
160. Syrian Women’s Network
161. Taaluf human team
162. Tamdeen Youth Foundation
163. The Day After
164. The Productive Youths Development Initiative
165. The Syria Campaign
166. The Syrian Legal Development Programme -SLDP
167. thefemalesurviviorunion
168. Tomorrow Foundation For sustainable development humanitarian relief
169. Uluslararası Arap Akademisyenleri Derneği
170. UOSSM
171. VEER Development Organization
172. Violet Organization for Relief and Development
173. Volunteer future team
174. Volunteers Without Borders in Denmark
175. Waer Waters Charity Foundation
176. Watan Foundation
177. Wedad Organization
178. Welfare Organization for Humanitarian Work
179. WHOSD
180. WINGS Relief International
181. Woman Support Association
182. Woman Support Association
183. Women Now for Development
184. Women of inestimable values foundation
185. Zad Aljnna
186. ZENOBIA ORG
187. Zeyd bin sabit ORG