Syrian Arab Red Crescent Calls for Lifting Siege to Support Rescue Efforts after the Devastating Earthquake

By Staff, SANA

Head of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent [SARC] Engineer Khaled Hboubati appealed to lift the siege and economic sanctions imposed on Syria to face the repercussions of the devastating earthquake that rocked the country early on Monday.

“We need heavy equipment, ambulances and firefighting vehicles to continue to rescue and remove the rubble, and this entails lifting sanctions on Syria as soon as possible,” Hboubati said during a press conference on Tuesday.

The SARC chief added, “The number of victims is likely to rise, and several buildings are still at risk of collapsing. The results of the earthquake are disastrous. Our volunteers are ready, but we lack equipment.”

He also noted that that the government has allocated 126 shelters in Aleppo, 23 in Lattakia, 5 in Hama, 3 in Homs, and 3 in Tartous to help those affected.

“We have received calls from Syrian expatriates in a large number of countries, and we will open an account in Syrian banks to receive donations,” Hboubati said.

The SARC chief made a national and humanitarian appeal… “We call on donor countries to cooperate to lift the blockade.”