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 Türkiyebased 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 visà-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. Caesar Families Association
4. CRGR Centro América
5. CSOs' Initiative for Localisation and Optimization of response in Yemen
6. DSV- UOSSM
7. Gaza Urban Agriculture Platform( GUPAP)
8. Idleb Health Directorate
9. National Alliance of Humanitarian Actors Bangladesh (NAHAB)
10. National Society for Earthquake Technology - Nepal ((NSET)
11. Nigeria Network of NGOs
12. Palestinian Farmers Union
13. Palestinian NGOs Network
14. Syrian Alliance for Volunteer Teams
15. Syrian European Forum
16. Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR)
17. Syrian Network in Denamrk
18. Syrian Networks League - SNL
19. The Syrian Charities and Associations Network of the UK (SCAN UK)
20. Union of German Syrian Associations
21. Voices For Displaced Syrians Forum
22. Women and Child Protection Network
23. Women Protection Network
24. YDN-Yemeni Development Network for NGOs
25. Young Global Citizens Assembly e.V.
26. YWCA- Palestine
Humanitarian and Civil Society Organizations
27. AblAblam Community Committee
28. ABS Development Organization for Woman and Child
29. Access Center for Human Rights - ACHR
30. Adam Association for the Development of the Family & Society
31. Advance Foundation for Development
32. AFKAR Organization for Educational and Cultural Development
33. African Community Society
34. Alameen for Humanitarian Support
35. Alataa Charitable Society
36. Albonian Almarsos Humanitarian Organization
37. A-Dameer Association for Human Rights
38. Alghad Charity
39. Alrowwad Cultural and Arts Society
40. Alseeraj Sweden
41. Al-Sham Humanitarian Foundation
42. Alzahraa Society
43. Amal Healing and Advocacy Center
44. Amwaj Association for Community Development and Improvement
45. And Hope Remains
46. ANURDO
47. Applied Research Institute - Jerusalem (ARIJ)
48. Asociación Para la Educación y el Desarrollo
49. Assistance Mission for Africa
50. ATAA Humanitarian Relief Association
51. Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children
52. Bait Lahia Youth Association Center
53. Baitona for Community Development
54. Barokupot Ganochetona Foundation-BGF
55. Basamat for Development
56. Basma Society For Culture & Arts
57. Basmeh & Zeitooneh
58. Bassmet Hayat Association
59. Baytna
60. Big Heart
61. BINAA Organization for Development
62. Bisan Center for Research and Development
63. Bonyan for Youth and Development
64. Bousla for Development & Innovation
65. COAR
66. Community Media Center
67. Culture Free Thought Organization
68. CWLRCP
69. Darya Organization
70. Dawlaty
71. Defence for Children International
72. Demokratik Kadın Örgütü
73. Deutsch Syrischer Verein DSV
74. Dhaka Ahsania Mission
75. Doctors Worldwide
76. Dozana
77. Dr. Haider Abdel Shafi Center
78. EIPISA
79. Elaf for Reilaf and Development
80. Equity and Empowerment
81. Eradah Organization to Combat Torture and Forced Disappearance
82. EvE Association
83. FAYA Nepal
84. FECODESA
85. Field Medical Foundation
86. Finjan
87. FUDEP Fomento del desarrollo Popular
88. Fundación Halü Bienestar Humano
89. Fundación Sahed
90. Future Association For Development And Environment
91. Future Resilience and Development Foundation (FRAD)
92. Gaza Urban & Peri-urban Agricultural Platform (GUPAP) (GUPAP)
93. Ghiras Al-Nahda
94. Global Organization for Civil Society Advancement
95. Green Cranks Team
96. Greenmind Initiative for Agriculture and Sustainable Environment
97. Greenspring Development Initiative
98. Hand in Hand for Aid & Development - HIHFAD
99. Hathi Hayati Volunteering Group
100. Health And Nutrition Development Society-HANDS
101. Hope Revival Organization
102. Horan Foundation
103. Hospitals Advocacy Campaign
104. Human Access-Yemen
105. Humanista Volunteer Team
106. Humanitarian Development Aid Org.-HUDA
107. Humanitarian Relief and Development Council(HRDC)
108. Humanitrian Care Charity
109. Hurras Network
110. I Am For My Country Foundation
111. Ihsan Relief and Development
112. Impact civil Society Research and Development
113. Independent
114. Indonesian Development-Humanitarian Alliance
115. INSAN Association Defending Human Rights
116. Insan Charity Organization
117. International Blue Crescent Relief and Development Foundation (IBC)
118. International Humanitarian Relief (IHR)
119. International Humanitarian Relief - IHR
120. Jameiat Bashir Alsalam Lileamal Alansanii
121. Jana Watan
122. Jewels Trust Fund
123. JOURNALISTS RIGHTS ADVOCATING ASSOCIATION
124. Jumpstart Refugee Talent
125. Justice & Sustainable Development
126. Justice Paths
127. Khadija Foundation for Development
128. Lamsat ward
129. Lawyers and doctors for Human Rights LDHR
130. Lifeline Humanitarian Association
131. Local Development and Small-Projects Support (LDSPS)
132. MAAN ORG.
133. Maram Foundation for Relief and Development
134. Mattar
135. MC
136. MedGlobal
137. Media
138. Medical Mercy Foundation
139. Mehad
140. Nabd Alhayat Charitable Society
141. Nabd Development and Evolution Organization(NDEO)
142. Nabni
143. Nahda Makers Organization
144. Nasaem Khair Organization (NKO)
145. Neda'a foundation for development
146. New Followership New Africa Initiative
147. Nexus Action
148. NHS Salford Royal hospital
149. Nima Relief
150. Olive Branch
151. One Heart
152. Organization ZOOM IN
153. Palestinian Al Nakheel Association for Progress and Development
154. PARC
155. PCROD
156. Peace and Justice for Syria
157. Physicians Across Continents PAC
158. Progress Organization for Development
159. Public Aid Society
160. Qurantaj
161. Rahma World Wide
162. Relief Experts Association (UDER)
163. Roya Assosiation For Development Abilities
164. Sadad Humanitarian Organization
165. Safa Development Assessment
166. Salsabil Charity Association
167. SAMS
168. Sanabel Organization/ Başaklar Derneği
169. Science and Cultural Center
170. Seraj Al-Aqsa Voluntary Team
171. Shuaa Developmental Foundation
172. SKT Organization
173. Social Development International SDI
174. Society of Women Graduates in Gaza Strip
175. Souriyat Across Borders (SAB)
176. Space of Hope Organization
177. Space Of Peace
178. SRD
179. Sroor
180. SSRD
181. Syria Students Body
182. Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression
183. Syrian Civil Defense (The White Helmets)
184. Syrian Expatriates Medical Assosiation - SEMA
185. Syrian Forum
186. Syrian Network in Denmark
187. Syrian Sweden Association
188. Syrian Woman Association
189. Syrian Women’s Network
190. Taalufhumaneteam
191. Tamdeen Youth Foundation
192. The Day After
193. The National Children's Cancer Society
194. The National Organization of Yemeni Reporters SADA
195. The Productive Youths Development Initiative
196. The Syria Campaign
197. The Syrian Legal Development Programme -SLDP
198. The Female Survivors Union
199. Tomorrow Foundation for Sustainable Development & Humanitarian Relief
200. Uluslararası Arap Akademisyenleri Derneği
201. VEER Development Organization
202. Violet Organization for Relief and Development
203. Volunteer Future Team
204. Volunteers Without Borders in Denmark
205. Waer Waters Charity Foundation
206. Watan Foundation
207. Wedad
208. Welfare Organization for Humanitarian Work
209. WHOSD
210. WINGS Relief International
211. Woman Support Association
212. Woman Support Association
213. Women Now for Development
214. Women of Inestimable Values Foundation
215. Women's Board ECS
216. World Vision International
217. Zad Aljnna
218. ZENOBIA ORG
219. Zeyd Bin Sabit
