US says helping earthquake-hit Syria but not Assad
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Raven Ruma
- . February 8, 2023
- . Update: February 8, 2023 10:18 pm
The United States (US) has said it is working with partners to help earthquake-hit Syria and provide relief aid to people but would not work with the Damascus government.
Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State, reportedly said, “In Syria itself, we have US-funded humanitarian partners that are coordinating lifesaving assistance.”
Blinken said that the US was committed to providing life-saving assistance to help people in Syria recover from the destructive earthquake. He further said, “I want to emphasise here that these funds, of course, go to the Syrian people and not to the Assad regime.”
Stephen Allen, who is leading the response on the ground for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), said that most of the damage due to the earthquake took place in areas that are not under Assad’s control.
Read | Erdogan receives condolences from Saudi King and crown prince following the Turkish earthquake
Allen said that USAID was focusing on rescue efforts and other immediate needs. However, he did not reveal the name of the non-governmental groups working with the United States.
The Joe Biden administration has repeatedly said it opposes normalising ties with Syrian President Bashar Assad. However, critics have accused the Biden administration of softening its position on the Syrian government, which previous Republican and Democratic administrations had long sought to isolate.
Over the past few years, Assad has been restoring relations with other Arab nations and Turkey. It is not yet clear whether major Western nations would follow suit.
The United States also said that it was sending two rescue teams to NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) ally Turkey. Allen said that the rescue teams would bring 158 personnel, 12 dogs and 170,000 pounds (77,100 kilograms) of specialised equipment. Allen said, “If they need further assistance, we are certainly ready to provide that.”
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and Syria on Monday, killing over 7900 people and injuring others.
