US claims assisting earthquake-stricken Syria: The US announced on Tuesday that it was working with allies to help those affected by the earthquake in Syria, but it would steadfastly refuse to cooperate with the regime in Damascus.
After dispatching two rescue teams to the earthquake-stricken NATO ally Turkiye, the United States announced its commitment to sending additional relief aid.
As he spoke with his Austrian counterpart, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters that “in Syria itself, we have US-funded humanitarian partners who are arranging critical assistance.”
Blinken emphasized that since the beginning of the war in Syria, they have been the top humanitarian donor and declared, “We will not waver in our dedication to aid in the recovery of the Syrian people from this tragedy.”
“I want to stress that this cash goes to the Syrian people and not the dictatorship. This won’t alter.
In order to hold Bashar al-Assad, the president of Syria, accountable for crimes committed during the terrible, nearly 12-year civil war, the United States has rejected normalising relations with him as well as any direct assistance for reconstruction.
Assad has regained control of the majority of the country and has worked to repair relations with Turkey and other Arab nations in the past year.
USAID’s Focus on Rescue Operations and Urgent Needs in Syria
The majority of the damage was in regions outside of Assad’s control, and USAID had local partners there, according to Stephen Allen, who is in charge of USAID’s reaction there.
According to Allen, USAID is refocusing its aid to Syria’s war-affected citizens, putting more of an emphasis on rescue operations and other urgent needs like providing food and shelter.
Allen told reporters, “We’ve got the entire spectrum of humanitarian assistance operating in northwest Syria right now.”
He refused to give the names of the non-governmental organisations that collaborate with the US, citing operational security.
Two rescue teams are being dispatched by the United States to the NATO ally Turkiye. The teams would arrive on Wednesday morning, according to Allen, and they would travel to the city of Adiyaman, where there had only been a few searches so far.
According to him, the teams are transporting 170,000 pounds (77,100 kg) of specialised equipment as well as 158 humans, 12 dogs, and two C-130 transport planes.
To put it simply, getting those teams out and saving lives is what we’re concentrating on right now in Turkiye, Allen said from Ankara.
“We certainly stand ready to assist,” he said, “if they require further help with housing and providing prompt aid to those in need.”
Officials and medical professionals estimate that the 7.8-magnitude earthquake has killed more than 7,100 people in the two countries.