After the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday, 6 February, various entities and organizations from the international community pledged their support to the countries affected. Foreign emergency aid, alongside thousands of medical and on-ground response teams were sent to Turkey, but for war-torn Syria, receiving help is fraught with political and logistical challenges. The hurdles facing Syria have been in place since long before Monday’s deadly earthquake that has left a combined death toll surpassing 11,000 people on Wednesday, 8 February—the deadliest earthquake worldwide in more than a decade. There is a race to find survivors under the rubble of collapsed buildings as international aid from China, the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and other governments pour in Turkey. However, Syria has been struggling to acquire any help from the international community. What is slowing down aid to Syria? According to aid workers, getting aid into Syria is hampered by the country’s internal political and sectarian divisions as well as international tensions and imposed sanctions. Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad’s government is in conflict with other parties and groups within Syria, as well as…
