The White Helmets, the Syrian civil defense group in opposition areas of Syria, have sharply criticized the lack of emergency response by the United Nations to the devastating earthquake that hit northern Syria and southern Turkey, leaving tens of thousands dead, wounded and displaced.
“The United Nations has yet to address the suffering of the Syrian people as a result of the devastating earthquake disaster,” Munir Mustafa, deputy director of the White Helmets, said in an interview with Al Jazeera, emphasizing that on the third day of the quake, aid Teams tried to rescue hundreds of people trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings, but the United Nations did not provide any assistance to support the rescue team’s work.
Mustafa called the UN’s lack of response to the earthquake “disgraceful” and said the organization had failed to address issues of justice and humanity at a time when northwestern Syria was facing its worst disaster in centuries.
Mustafa emphasized that from the first moment of the earthquake, the Civil Defense spoke about the great need for heavy equipment needed for rescue operations and rescue of trapped people, especially long-arm hydraulic winches, search and rescue equipment at different depths and training facilities. Vegan rescue dog.
race against time
Mustafa said that every passing minute meant that survivors under the rubble were more likely to die due to the severe shortage of rescue equipment, which had not arrived despite promises to send rescue equipment to the affected areas.
At the same time, Mustafa added that the chances of rescuing those trapped are getting smaller as time goes on, noting that the mission of civil defense is to save people, “not to save lives” and due to the lack of heavy equipment, As well as insufficient capacity on a national scale, he lamented the inability to reach all those trapped.
Mustafa warned that post-quake northwestern Syria was very different from what it was before, explaining that the region was already suffering a humanitarian crisis due to lack of food and shelter.
On ensuring the safety of earthquake victims, Mustafa said the Syrian civil defense team helped widen the camp, evacuate displaced people from destroyed houses and provide residents with water, with the participation of hundreds of civilians, using raw Tools and sometimes even bare hands are involved in the rescue.