Syrians need urgent help – “The borders to Syria must be opened” – News

Many of Ashti Amir’s relatives died in the earthquake in northern Syria’s Afrin. The Syrian living in Switzerland calls for more direct aid and border openings.

Ashti Amir

Coordinator of the aid organization Syri-Aid


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Amir has lived in Switzerland since 1999. In 1999, the Kurd fled from Hafiz al-Assad, the father of the current ruler. In 2013 he started with the help of Organization Syri Aid Organize support for people living in Syria.

SRF News: Do you know how your relatives are doing in Afrin?

Ashti Amir: Unfortunately, there are many victims in my family. From my wife’s family, 22 people died, aunts and children. That’s very hard. The whole family lived in a four-story house. It collapsed and everyone died under the rubble.

The whole family lived in a four-story house. It has collapsed.

We found out by accident because we saw the house in a youtube video. My wife recognized her mother. An aunt screamed and cried, she was in another house at the time of the earthquake and not with her children. So far, only seven people have been rescued from the rubble. This is painful.

The people in northern Syria receive even less aid than those in Turkey. How do they react?

It leaves the same feeling as during the war: the world community is failing the people. People also have no understanding that the borders remain closed because Russia has vetoed the opening in the Security Council. I also don’t think that the only open border crossing between Turkey and Syria is difficult to cross. There are so many other streets there.

A man in a debris field.

Legend:

So far, very little aid has arrived in northern Syria from abroad.

Reuters/Khalil Ashawi

The Red Crescent and other aid organizations, but also politicians such as German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, are calling for the borders within and to Syria to be opened. How important would that be?

That would be very, very important. Oil tankers have been waiting at the border for two days to send aid to Aleppo. There are many trucks that cannot reach areas not under the control of the Assad regime, even within the country. It’s been negotiated for days.

There are thousands injured, there is a lack of food and tents. It’s a fight for survival.

The borders within the country, but also those with Turkey and Iraq, must be opened immediately. First aid for people who have been buried is now too late. But there are thousands injured, there is a lack of food and tents. The fight for survival continues.

The suspension of sanctions against Syria for aid deliveries is also being called for. Would you also support this? Although the government could exploit them?

Yes, I’m for it. Donations do not reach the families because the banks refuse to transfer them due to the sanctions. The families could at least buy food with the money.

Sanctions always hit poor people the hardest.

A look at Iraq also shows that sanctions always affect the population. Especially the poor people who have nothing. You have to do something against the Assad regime, but not punish the population.

Switzerland now wants to help by supporting aid organizations that are already active in the country.

No international or Swiss aid organizations are active in this region, which is not controlled by the Assad regime. This also applies to Idlib, for example, which is controlled by radical Islamist groups; or Afrin, where the Turkish military is on site. I was happy yesterday because a team of experts came to Afrin from Egypt. I don’t know how. Everyone was happy: at least one team came.

The conversation was conducted by Karoline Arn.

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