Trucks carrying humanitarian aid are seen at the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing with Syria on February 9, 2023. (Reuters)

The Syrian Red Crescent reported today that the armed groups that control Idlib are preventing relief aid convoys from entering the area.

"Despite the repeated attempts and the long-time waiting (12 days now) of the aid convoys on two crossing points, the convoys haven't been approved to pass through the cross-lines by the controlling parties," the Syrian Red Crescent said.

Statement by The @SYRedCrescent #Damascus, 19-3-2023 pic.twitter.com/A4OLQXvDLA
— Syrian Red Crescent (@SYRedCrescent) March 19, 2023

"The Syrian Arab Crescent reiterates its high readiness and ongoing attempts to reach all affected areas in Syria, particularly the areas with massive needs and hugely impacted by the earthquake," the report read.

At the beginning of the month, the Russian deputy representative to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyanskiy, stated that "terrorists affiliated with the terrorist organization "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham" are monopolizing the humanitarian aid reaching northern Syria through Turkish territories within the framework of the cross-border delivery mechanism."

A devastating earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale struck large areas in southern Turkey and northern Syria, at dawn on Monday, February 6, which resulted in the death of more than 50,000 people in the two countries, while the aftershocks of the earthquake reached other countries in the region.

US sanctions on Syria

Several international bodies have warned that the US sanctions imposed on Syria prevent many countries and agencies from sending relief and humanitarian aid to those affected by the earthquake in Syria and called for the lifting of sanctions on Damascus in order to ensure urgent humanitarian aid to the affected people.

Conditions in Syria are even worse, as the country has been hit by years of war backed by the West, and harsh American sanctions make it difficult to get aid into the Arab country.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that around 26 million people have been affected by the earthquake as it launched a flash appeal on Saturday for $42.8 million to cope with immediate and overwhelming health needs.

Sanctions mean that millions of people will continue to live under harsh conditions due to the unavailability of essential public services and major construction efforts.