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Portions of Syria not receiving help following devastating earthquake
FOX 26 Reporter Sherman Desselle explains why some areas in Syria aren't getting any help following the deadly earthquake that's already taken over 11,000 lives.
HOUSTON - Longtime Houston developer Bassam Barazi is originally from the Hama province of Syria. He says his family that survived the historic earthquake is doing the best they can there.
"For 12 years we've been living with a disaster that has already taken place due to the war," says Barazi. "There are many people who were already living in Northwest Syria with nothing."
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Millions of refugees were already in dire need as the civil war continues. The country, mainly controlled by President Bashar al-Assad, has been fighting with multiple domestic and foreign groups that oppose the local government. While many supplies from Turkey have made it to parts of Syria, the Northwest region has received little to no aid.
"The al-Assad Regime gets supplies from wherever, but it goes to Damascus," says Barazi. "They distribute it to their own places after they steal half or three-quarters of it. Whatever gets there, does not get to the affected areas."
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All the Turkey-Syria border crossings have been closed because of the UN resolution vetoed by Russia. The only access road, known as Bab al-Hawa, is too damaged to pass over.
Barazi says he and many other Syrians in Houston have tried their best to mobilize their own resources. He's on his phone often with people in Syria as they receive the funds and buy food, clothing, and supplies for survivors. He also hopes President Biden and the White House, who made no remarks about the earthquake during Tuesday's State of the Union Address, step in to help the area.
ELBISTAN, TURKEY - FEBRUARY 08: Local people and rescue volunteers retrieve a body during rescue operations on February 8, 2023 in Elbistan Turkey. A 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit near Gaziantep, Turkey, in the early hours of Monday, followed by anoth …
Meanwhile, Turks in Houston are seeing an enormous amount of aid collected at the local consulate. Ebru Ak is the President of the American Turkish Association of Houston. Her family is from the Hatai province - where the airport, hospitals, and critical pieces of infrastructure are reported to be decimated. She's encouraging people to continue doing what they can.
"The country was already in a kind of difficult situation right now economically," says Ak. "I'm trying to stay hopeful. The only good thing right now is unity. How we're united here with people to help."
You can find resources on how to help here.