[Aktungbby]

...all this misery on top of the civil war that had already left 90% of Syrian dependent on government assistance. It will be interesting to see Bashir al-Assad "step up to the plate." in this massive civil crisis. Even Israel, the US, and Turkey, both enemies, are sending assistance along with Russia, China and Arab states... https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/06/w...arthquake.html Syria is demanding control of all humanitarian aid...yeah right: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article...der-resolution

Throughout the protracted Syrian conflict, the Government of Syria has systematically manipulated humanitarian aid as a military tactic, a political bargaining chip, and as a means of self-financing. Consequently, since 2016 or earlier, independent analysts within the Syria crisis response have advocated to institutional donors that cross-line aid must be, at the very least, complemented by aid delivered through a cross-border modality. Although it remains a vital lifeline to opposition-held northwest Syria, the mechanism authorizing the entire UN-based cross-border aid architecture is now on the verge of collapsing in the face of a veto threat by Russia. Unless it is renewed through a UN Security Council vote by July 10, the cross-border system will be eliminated, and all UN aid will be delivered exclusively through Government of Syria areas. While aid practitioners are well-acquainted with incidents of aid manipulation by Damascus, such incidents are not common knowledge. As policymakers push for renewal of the cross-border mechanism, it is helpful to consider patterns of aid instrumentalization which demonstrate that cross-line aid delivery through Damascus — backed by Russia — cannot be effective or principled.