First UN aid trucks enter quake-hit northwest Syria from Turkey via newly-opened crossing
14 February 2023, 18:31 | Updated: 14 February 2023, 18:44
A convoy of UN aid entered northwest Syria from Turkey on Tuesday via the newly-opened Bab al-Salam crossing, according to spokespeople for the world body.
The trucks have entered the rebel-held region as the organisation ramps up relief efforts following the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria last week, leaving tens of thousands dead.
The UN has so far sent over 50 trucks of aid through another crossing, Bab al-Hawa.
On Monday it said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assaf had allowed two more crossings to be used, Bab Al-Salam and al-Raee, for an initial period of three months.
An International Organization for Migration (IOM) spokesperson told Reuters that the UN agency "were the first humanitarians to send 11 trucks through Bab al-Salam crossing point," on Tuesday.
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It also sent six trucks through the Bab al-Hawa crossing on Tuesday, the spokesperson said.
"The quake aid included new arrival kits, kitchen sets, comprehensive hygiene kits, comprehensive shelter kit(s)," they said, and added that 15 more trucks carrying aid would travel through the same two crossings on Friday.
The UN has admitted failings in its response to the quake in Syria's northwest region, which was heavily hit.
Around 4 million people were already needed aid even before the natural disaster struck and that need has now increased significantly.
The organisation has launched a $400 million funding appeal to address the most pressing humanitarian needs over the next three months, noting that 8.8 million Syrians, mostly in the in country's northwest, had been affected.
At least 4,400 people have died in the northwest region, according to a UN agency.
