In response to the Syrian government agreeing to open two more border crossings to allow aid to be delivered to north-western Syria, Mohammed Suleiman of the Syrian Expatriates Medical Association (HelpAge partner), said:
“The opening of the two borders Bab Alsalam and Jarablus will now allow us to escalate our work and get urgently needed aid in quicker. For example, it will be much easier to get shelter materials, food and medical aid into Jindires and Afrin, two very badly affected areas. Our hospitals in northwest Syria have been inundated with injured survivors and our staff have been working flat out to treat them and we urgently need medical supplies. Before our trucks were travelling hundreds of kilometres because there was only one border open. But we are very frustrated that they weren t open before. The Syrian people have been very let down by the international community. This is a humanitarian emergency. It s not political.

Mahmoud Muhammad Qazeckli Fakkik, 58, from Syria, lost his home and most of his family to the devastating earthquake. SEMA