Aid official appeals for politics to be set aside to save lives, ease suffering in quake-hit Syria and Turkiye

01 Quakes couldn’t have come at a worse time
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Updated 13 February 2023
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Aid official appeals for politics to be set aside to save lives, ease suffering in quake-hit Syria and Turkiye

  • Dr. Hossam Elsharkawi, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies director, spoke to the Arab News talk show “Frankly Speaking”
  • Focus ought to be on the “humanitarian imperative,” he says, attributing the degradation of response mechanisms in Syria to the civil war’s impact

DUBAI: In the early hours of Feb. 6, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck southeast Turkiye and northwest Syria, leaving more than 25,000 dead and at least 80,000 injured. 

Humanitarian aid has been trickling into the region over recent days. However, there have been discrepancies in the scale of support reaching the two countries. 

In part, this is the result of logistical challenges in a region blighted by political divisions and poor infrastructure. But another factor is politics. 

Dr. Hossam Elsharkawi, regional director for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, or IFRC, believes political tensions must be kept out of the humanitarian response. 




Dr. Hossam Elsharkawi being interviewed by Frankly Speaking host Katie Jensen. (Screenshot from AN video)

“The focus for us is saving lives and minimizing the suffering to the extent possible with the resources we have — often limited resources — to do this type of work,” Elsharkawi told Katie Jensen, host of “Frankly Speaking,” the Arab News talk show which engages with leading policymakers and business leaders. 

While aid began to arrive relatively quickly in Turkiye’s earthquake-stricken southeast, several factors have contributed to delays, complicating rescue efforts and humanitarian relief operations in northwest Syria. 




Frankly Speaking host Katie Jensen. (Screenshot from AN video)

Syria is currently divided into three regions governed by various factions, including opposition and other militant groups in the country’s northwest, a Kurdish-led autonomous administration in the northeast, and the Syrian government in the center and south. 

The only border crossing for UN aid from Turkiye into Syria, Bab Al-Hawa, was forced by quake damage to close, causing a three-day delay in deliveries into Syria’s northwest. 

Asked whether the Bashar Assad regime or international aid organizations bear any responsibility for the additional suffering of the Syrian people, Elsharkawi said: “As humanitarians, we don’t actually blame anyone. 




The White Helmet volunteers rescue a child from under rubble in Jandaris, Syria, on Feb. 8, 2023, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake. (The White Helmets/via REUTERS)

“We deal with the consequences of failed diplomacy, failed politics, and we deal with the humanitarian consequences by focusing on assisting just average people, average families who have been affected for 12 years — and now more severely because of two massive earthquakes.” 

After the earthquake, Bassam Sabbagh, Syria’s ambassador to the UN, said the Syrian government should handle all humanitarian aid deliveries, including those going to areas not under the control of Damascus. 

Some observers view the Assad regime’s call for sanctions to be lifted as an opportunistic political gambit. 

Elsharkawi said aid workers do their jobs without concern for politics. “I have dealt with many Syrian professionals, doctors and nurses and other emergency response people who work in the public authorities who are not politicized.” 

“They’re caring, they want to care and scale up assistance for their people. Syria is not a failed state. Its public authorities continue to provide for their people, and we need to be respectful of that.” 




An Indonesian search and rescue team load government relief aid onto a C-130 cargo plane in Jakarta on February 11, 2023 for transport to quake-hit Turkiye and Syria. (AFP)

Elsharkawi continued: “What I have observed for years and years is that the assistance has been coming through other channels through Iraq and through Turkiye. So, we work with that. We don’t comment on that. 

“We just work with what is possible. Humanitarian assistance in these conditions is partly also the art of the possible, but we’re also beginning to get good news.” 

Elsharkawi was referring to Washington’s decision to lift the ban on financial transfers to Syria. “This is significant. We can already see how this crisis has affected the politics of 12 years in a good way to save lives,” he said. 

“We hope other sanctions are lifted as well, for example, for procurement of certain supplies and goods and by other nations. So, this is what gives us hope as well, that we can continue to scale up the operation.” 

‘We don’t take sides. We just work with what is possible. Humanitarian assistance in these conditions is partly also the art of the possible.’ 

Dr. Hossam Elsharkawi

In addition to accessibility issues, Elsharkawi said the major reason for the discrepancy in the provision of aid to Turkiye and Syria is the impact of the latter’s grinding civil war on public infrastructure. 

“The systems, the response mechanisms in Syria … and infrastructure have largely eroded and been destroyed because of the 12-year war. So, it’s a tale of two very different responses,” he said. 

According to the UN, at the beginning of 2023, more than 15 million Syrians were in need of humanitarian assistance. 

A recent report by the Washington-based Middle East Institute found that 65 percent of northwest Syria’s infrastructure had already been damaged or destroyed prior to the quake, and that the region is home to almost 3 million internally displaced persons. 

Both Syria’s Assad and Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have faced criticism for their handling of the disaster in their respective countries, with some in the latter accusing the government of failing to prepare sufficiently. 




Syrians, displaced as a result of the earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria okn Feb. 6, settle on an open area on the outskirts of the rebel-held town of Jandaris near Aleppo. (AFP)

Elsharkawi thinks this assessment is unfair. “It’s very difficult to prepare 100 percent for these massive events,” he said. “And, remember, we had two massive earthquakes, over magnitude 7, within hours of each other.” 

He recalled his experience coordinating humanitarian aid in the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, which killed almost 20,000 people. 

“Even one of the most developed, industrialized capable countries in the world back then … struggled to deal with that earthquake. So, yes, I understand people want their needs and supplies immediately, but from what we observe, the Turkish Red Crescent, the Turkish Emergency Response Authority and the government are doing their best with the resources they have,” Elsharkawi said. 

Turkiye’s handling of the disaster has nevertheless brought perceived ethnic and regional disparities to the fore, with many among the Kurdish minority living in the country’s south blaming authorities for the prevalence of poorly built housing, despite the introduction of new building codes in recent years. 

“Crises can make tensions worse, and they can actually also reduce tensions if aid is distributed equitably — if we get people talking and focused on the humanitarian mission and saving lives,” said Elsharkawi. 

“People remember when you’ve saved their sons and daughters, and they remember it for a long, long time, and it makes for easier relations sometimes. 

“I will not comment on the politics, but, yes, it is possible to prepare and build back better. You can build earthquake-resistant structures, homes, hospitals, and schools. Having codes is one thing. Enforcing the codes is another. So that’s a challenge for many governments around the world.” 

Elsharkawi said the IFRC would work with local authorities in future to make sure that enforcement mechanisms are in place for the construction of earthquake-resistant buildings. 




Relief supplies from donors in Germany fare prepared for transport near BER Berlin-Brandenburg Airport in Schoenefeld, near Berlin, Germany, on Feb. 9, 2023. (AP)

“That will protect people in the long term,” he said. “If you take 7.5- or 7.8- magnitude earthquakes in Japan, this would not have fazed them because they are building structures that are resistant to earthquakes that are 8 and 9 magnitudes. So, it’s possible. The technology is there. We’ll have to work in the longer term to bring that to the region.” 

In the short term, as the IFRC and other agencies deploy personnel and materials to the region, coordination between providers of humanitarian aid will prove critical to preventing the overabundance of some resources and shortage of others, said Elsharkawi. 

“We try to do it in a coordinated fashion, for example, to make sure not everybody gives only blankets and mattresses, while the people may also need water, food and medicine. It is critical that we hit the priority needs all at once and not have way too much of one item and nothing of another.” 

Several countries, including the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, China and Venezuela, among others, have provided immediate aid such as food, blankets, tents, generators, fuel and medical supplies. 

Elsharkawi highlighted the importance of Saudi Arabia’s contribution toward ongoing rescue efforts and aid. 




The Saudi search and rescue team participates in the relief efforts of earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. (SPA)

“Saudi assistance is vital,” he said. “They’ve asked us for the list of priorities as well to try to customize the assistance and what gets loaded on those planes. So, it is meeting the real needs and the gaps and is tremendously appreciated. It makes a huge difference in saving lives.” 

The “Sahem” fundraising campaign, launched by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, or KSrelief, two days after the quake, raised more than $53 million for the victims and survivors of the disaster within 48 hours. 

King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also directed KSrelief to begin the operation of an aid “air bridge” to immediately deliver relief supplies to earthquake-stricken regions. 

“This is happening as we speak, and will continue to happen as we speak, and we’ll continue to fine tune the content of those air bridges,” Elsharkawi said, adding that inclement weather and a cholera outbreak in Syria necessitate customization of aid. 




Sixth Saudi relief plane heading for earthquake-hit areas in Syria and Turkiye. (SPA)

Despite a litany of problems, many countries have put politics aside in order to do their part. 

“This is what we are appealing to all to do, in fact — focus on the humanitarian imperative and put aside the politics for a few weeks, a few months perhaps,” Elsharkawi said, adding that the provision of aid may require an even longer commitment. 

The IFRC has called for $200 million in aid for both Syria and Turkiye. 

“This is a massive assistance package that will be required not just for days and weeks. We’re looking here for a two- to three-year program because we know what it’s like to respond to these massive earthquakes and disasters,” Elsharkawi said. 

“We hope that the international and regional nations will be generous with their donations and contributions.” 

Elsharkawi disclosed that the IFRC is in contact with countries that would like to assist Syria in spite of the ongoing sanctions. “This is quiet diplomacy that we do, and this is the glimmer of hope that I’m talking about,” he said.

 


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Chinese fighter jets soar over Egypt in first joint exercises

  • Drills showcased China’s military hardware, Egypt’s regional clout
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China’s military on Monday released videos of its fast jets, helicopters and transport planes flying high above the Sahara and hailing inaugural joint air force exercises with Egypt as “a signal of deepening military ties and shifting alliances.”
The joint exercises with one of the United States’ biggest security partners come as Washington increasingly turns inward under President Donald Trump, allowing China to deepen ties across North Africa and invest billions in security projects.
“As Egypt looks beyond its traditional US partnership, a new era of cooperation is taking flight over Cairo’s skies,” said a video released by the international division of state broadcaster CCTV, as a jet plane takes off into the night.
Global Times, a tabloid owned by the newspaper of the ruling Communist Party, People’s Daily, said the “Eagles of Civilization 2025” drills had established a foundation for various potential cooperation between the two countries’ militaries at a time when Egypt is trying to upgrade its combat equipment, citing experts.
Analysts say the 18-day drills also help Egypt assert itself as a major regional power among the Arab nations and North Africa amid growing regional turbulence.
“It’s great public diplomacy for (China), particularly in the Middle East,” said Eric Orlander, co-founder of the China-Global South Project. “It’s what brings people in the door for them to sell drones, SAMs, light arms, transports, et cetera.”
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Orlander cautioned that switching jet fighter systems is very expensive, and Washington could choose to withhold financial military support from Cairo if it upped its purchases of Chinese technologies.
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And with the Gaza crisis unfolding to its north-east, ethnic violence in Sudan to the south, and political instability in Libya to its west, Egypt finds itself squeezed on three fronts.
China has since pledged billions in fresh investment for projects such as satellite manufacturing facilities in Egypt capable of producing military-grade surveillance equipment.
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First Jordanian passenger jet lands in Syria’s Aleppo after 14-year hiatus

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CAIRO: A Royal Jordanian Airlines passenger jet landed in Aleppo on Tuesday, marking the company’s first flight to the city after nearly 14 years.

The flight was from Amman to Aleppo International Airport, according to the Syrian News Agency.

The airline said it would run three flights a week from Amman to Aleppo, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, SANA reported.

Royal Jordanian had operated a trial flight in March to assess the airport’s technical and security readiness.

The airline began commercial flights to Damascus in January, according to a previous SANA report.


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Top Hamas official says Gaza truce talks no longer of interest

  • A senior Hamas official said Tuesday the group was no longer interested in truce talks with Israel and urged the international community to halt Israel’s “hunger war” against Gaza

GAZA: A senior Hamas official said Tuesday the group was no longer interested in truce talks with Israel and urged the international community to halt Israel's "hunger war" against Gaza.
"There is no sense in engaging in talks or considering new ceasefire proposals as long as the hunger war and extermination war continue in the Gaza Strip," Basem Naim told AFP.
He said the world must pressure the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the "crimes of hunger, thirst, and killings" in Gaza.
The comments by Naim, a Hamas political bureau member and former Gaza health minister, come a day after Israel's military said expanded operations in Gaza would include displacing "most" of its residents.
On Monday Israel's security cabinet approved the military's plan for expanded operations, which an Israeli official said would entail "the conquest of the Gaza Strip and the holding of the territories".
Nearly all of the territory's residents inhabitants have been displaced, often multiple times, since the start of the war sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
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Sudan’s paramilitary unleashes drones on key targets in Port Sudan

Updated 06 May 2025
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Sudan’s paramilitary unleashes drones on key targets in Port Sudan

  • The barrage was the second such attack this week on a city that had been a hub for people fleeing Sudan’s two-year war
  • Local media reported loud sound of explosions and fires at the port and the airport

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There was no immediate word on any casualties or the extent of the damage. Local media reported loud sound of explosions and fires at the port and the airport. Footage circulating online showed thick smoke rising over the area.
The attack on Port Sudan, which also serves as an interim seat for Sudan’s military-allied government, underscores that after two years of fighting, the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are still capable of threatening each other’s territory.
The RSF drones struck early in the morning, said two Sudanese military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
Abdel-Rahman Al-Nour, a Port Sudan resident, said he woke up to strong explosions, and saw fires and plumes of black smoke rising over the port. Msha’ashir Ahmed, a local journalist living in Port Sudan, said fires were still burning late Tuesday morning in the southern vicinity of the maritime port.
The attack apparently disrupted air traffic at the airport, with Cairo airport data in neighboring Egypt showing that three Port Sudan-bound flights were canceled on Tuesday.
The RSF did not release any statements on the attack. On Sunday, the paramilitary force struck Port Sudan for the first time in the war, disrupting air traffic in the city’s airport, which has been the main entry point for the county in the last two years.
A military ammunition warehouse in the Othman Daqna air base in the city was also hit, setting off a fire that burned for two days.
When the fighting in Sudan broke out, the focus of the battles initially was the country’s capital, Khartoum, which turned into a war zone. Withing weeks, Port Sudan, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) to the east of Khartoum, turned into a safe haven for the displaced and those fleeing the war. Many aid missions and UN agencies moved their offices there.
The attacks on Port Sudan are also seen as retaliation after the Sudanese military earlier this month struck the Nyala airport in South Darfur, which the paramilitary RSF has turned into a base and where it gets shipments of arms, including drones.
Sudan plunged into chaos in April 2023, when simmering tensions between the military and the RSF exploded into open warfare in Khartoum. From there, the fighting spread to other parts of the country.
Since then, at least 24,000 people have been killed, though the number is likely far higher. The war has driven about 13 million people from their homes, including four million crossed into neighboring countries. It also pushed parts of the country into famine.
The fighting has been marked by atrocities including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, especially in the western Darfur region, according to the United Natios. and international rights groups.


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Syrian president expected to visit France soon

  • Sharaa in February received an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to visit France in the ‘coming weeks’

Syria’s President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is expected to visit France soon, a statement by the Syrian president’s office said, without specifying a date.
Sharaa in February received an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to visit France in the “coming weeks.”