The President of the Syrian Opposition Coalition, Salem Al-Meslet, on Wednesday held a virtual meeting with Acting British Envoy to Syria, Charles King, to discuss the need for urgent support and assistance to save victims of the devastating earthquake and rescue those trapped under rubble in northwestern Syria.
Al-Meslet informed of the current situation in the affected areas, stating that the death toll had exceeded 1,900, with over 2,900 injured and hundreds of families still trapped. He warned that these numbers could double in the coming hours if mechanisms, tools, and support did not arrive soon.
Al-Meslet explained that the SOC, along with its executive institutions, the Syrian Interim Government, local councils, and the Assistance Coordination Unit, were working together with civil defense and local humanitarian organizations to minimize the impact of the disaster and provide assistance to earthquake victims.
He emphasized that the SOC was fully prepared to receive aid and distribute it to those affected by the earthquake. He also stressed that the Syrian people needed real support from their friends.
Al-Meslet pointed out that the disaster affecting the Syrians in various regions hurt everyone, regardless of political affiliations, but the Assad regime was trying to exploit the situation for political and economic gain.
Meanwhile, SOC Vice President Abdulahad Astepho spoke about the efforts of the Department of Foreign Relations to communicate with Turkish officials to facilitate the transit of aid, and the work being done to reach out to Syrians in the diaspora who wish to provide assistance.
King confirmed that his teams were working continuously to discuss ways to provide urgent assistance in Syria and coordinating with the Turkish government and the United Nations to support these efforts. He expressed his dissatisfaction with the regime’s responsibility for distributing aid, as it cannot be a reliable party in terms of relief efforts.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
