Syrian rescue workers say quake destruction worse than war

Countries around the world have mobilized rapidly to send aid and rescue workers after a massive earthquake left more than 7,000 people dead in Turkey and Syria on Monday.

Click here for updates on the situation and rescue efforts.

Among the rescue workers include handlers with trained search dogs, structural engineers, paramedics, and soldiers who are in the neighboring countries to help locate and save survivors. For Syria, though, it's not a matter of who is willing to send aid, but if that aid can make it to those who need it.

Desperation, exhaustion

In Syria, the situation is desperate. The war-torn country’s infrastructure was already ravaged by the ongoing Syrian civil war, borders are shut tight, and there is no centralized government to organize international rescue efforts.

So the Syrian Civil Defense – or White Helmets – has stepped up to rescue those who survived the natural disaster. In footage released Tuesday by the White Helmets, rescuers were seen pulling a young girl, named Noor, from the rubble of a collapsed building in Jindires, northern Syria. She was not seriously injured.

Surrounded by debris and dead bodies, Noor emerges from the rubble as a rescuer diligently clears the dust from her face, chanting that God is great.

"(Your) father is here don’t be scared. Noor, please look at me here. Talk to your father. See! Here’s your father. Talk to your father. Thank God for your safety," rescuers said in Arabic.

The United Nations has said 70 percent of the Syrian population requires humanitarian aid, as people trapped beneath the rubble are reportedly calling out for help, yet there is almost no one to respond to their calls. 

Ammar Al Selmo, a White Helmet volunteer, told i24NEWS that while they were used to the destruction that has come from the fighting and violence of the 12-year civil war, “the scale of this is much worse.”

“We can hear the cries of people trapped, but can't get to everyone. There’s a shortage of supplies, heavy machinery like cranes, so we can't dig through debris efficiently,” he explained. 

But 24 hours after the first quake, without international aid, they have still managed to rescue people who survived.

“We have pulled out 800 people from the rubble. Hospitals are overwhelmed by dead bodies and injured victims,” he continued. “People are living in open areas and camps, and are freezing. The earthquake came during a snowstorm, it's a terrible time.”

He noted he heard from the United Nations that the supply chain road used from southern Turkey to deliver aid was impacted, which will make it harder to get the supplies: “People are exhausted from war, and the shortage of humanitarian aid has now been aggravated.” 

Here’s a glance at the assistance that is being provided and making it through the borders:

United States

U.S. President Joe Biden said teams were "deploying quickly to begin to support Turkish search and rescue efforts." National Security spokesman John Kirby said the United States was sending two search-and-rescue teams of 79 people each, while the Pentagon and USAID were coordinating with their Turkish counterparts.

European Union

The European Union has mobilized 27 search and rescue and medical teams from 19 countries to help Turkey, together with over 1,150 rescuers and 70 rescue dogs, EU crisis management commissioner Janez Lenarcic confirmed Tuesday. The bloc’s Copernicus satellite system has also been activated to provide emergency mapping services.

Israel

The Israeli army is sending a search and rescue team of 150 engineers, medical personnel, and other aid workers to render lifesaving aid in Turkey. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said he approved the sending of aid to Syria – whose government does not recognize Israel – after receiving a request through diplomatic channels. But a Damascus official denied that they requested help.

Gulf states

Qatar said it would send 120 rescue workers to Turkey, alongside "a field hospital, relief aid, tents, and winter supplies." The United Arab Emirates pledged assistance worth around $13.6 million to Syria, including search and rescue teams, urgent relief supplies, and emergency aid.

United Nations 

"Our teams are on the ground assessing the needs and providing assistance. We count on the international community to help the thousands of families hit by this disaster, many of whom were already in dire need of humanitarian aid in areas where access is a challenge," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to send teams to both countries, and his defense ministry said 300 military personnel deployed in Syria were helping with the clear-up effort. The Russian military has also set up points to distribute humanitarian assistance.

Red Cross

The International Committee of the Red Cross sent enough surgical material to treat 100 people at one of the public hospitals in the Syrian city of Aleppo. More medical equipment is on its way to Aleppo, Latakia, and Tartous. The Red Cross also is donating canned food, blankets, mattresses, and other essential items.

Spain

Spanish medical workers will set up a field hospital in Turkey to treat the wounded. Spain also mobilized troops and drones from the country’s Military Emergency Unit to Malatya airport, where the Turkish authorities have installed an international aid center, and will also contribute to rescue efforts in Syria through NGOs operating there.