News Center- According to the United Nations, at least 8.8 million people in Syria have been affected by the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023. “The majority is anticipated to need some form of humanitarian assistance,” UN Deputy Syria Representative Najat Rochdi wrote on Twitter on Sunday. “The UN is fully committed to doing more to help all Syrians,” she said.

During a visit to the areas affected by the earthquake in Syria, Martin Griffiths, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, admitted that the UN had failed to help the victims in the northwestern opposition areas. Observers also saw bureaucratic hurdles for the UN, whose goods could have arrived faster with smaller vehicles than with the usual large trucks in view of the war-torn region's broken roads.

Since the earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, more than 140 trucks carrying UN aid have travelled from Turkey to northwestern Syria, where more than 9,000 buildings were completely or partially destroyed, causing at least 11,000 people to lose their homes.

According to the UN, the most urgent need in earthquake-affected areas is tents.

 Call from the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria to the UN

On February 9, 2023, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) sent a letter to the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, calling for the reopening of Tal Koçer (Al-Yarubiyah) crossing and demanding to ease economic and humanitarian burdens on Syria.