Situation Overview
A second UN aid convoy crossed from Türkiye to north-west Syria today since the earthquakes struck southern Türkiye on 6 February. A total of 14 trucks carried relief supplies provided by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Millions of Syrians depend on UN cross-border assistance enabled by the Security Council. In 2022 alone, a total of 7,566 trucks loaded with aid crossed from Türkiye to north-west Syria, reaching 2.6 million people per month. After the earthquake, the operation was temporarily disrupted for three days due to damaged key roads. The convoys resumed on the morning of 9 February. The first cross-border aid convoy comprised six IOM trucks carrying shelter items and Non-Food Items (NFIs) including heaters, solar lamps and blankets.
The death toll continues to climb as the earthquakes claim more than 23,000 lives in Türkiye and north-west Syria as of 10 February. At least 1,206 aftershocks have been reported over the past five days.
The situation remains dire in north-west Syria, a region where 90 per cent of its population depends on humanitarian assistance. Hundreds of people reportedly remain trapped in the rubble of collapsed houses as community-based responders are fully occupied with search and rescue efforts.
Dr Ahmed Haji Hassan, a regional health manager, described what he witnessed: "Jindires city is all under rubble. People have moved to villages and camps nearby. We need mobile clinics to reach the injured there.”
The huge number of casualties is overwhelming hospitals and medical centers in north-west Syria, particularly those that have limited medical, surgical and intensive care unit (ICU) beds. Local sources indicate that many civilians are suffering from nervous breakdowns and panic.
“The hospitals are overcrowded,” shared Dr Ikram Habboush, manager of a maternity hospital in Idleb. “We need to provide all medical services from bone fracture repair to dialysis. The hospital suffers from shortages even in times before this earthquake. It is a catastrophe,” she added.
People have also been forced to move out of their houses due to recent flooding. The water level of the Orontes river has reportedly risen and submerged homes following the collapse of a dam in the aftermath of the earthquakes. More than 30,000 displacement movements were recorded in north-west Syria over three days from 6 February to 8 February.
The Syria Cross-border Humanitarian Fund (SCHF) has received pledged contributions aiming to respond to humanitarian needs in north-west Syria including the earthquake response thanks to the generous support of France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States of America.
The UN is racing to scale up its cross-border aid operation. An inter-agency convoy is planned for Saturday 11 February.
Disclaimer
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- To learn more about OCHA's activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.