Monitoring Desk
WASHINGTON: US officials said Thursday that they will provide relief supplies and assistance to assist the victims of last week’s quakes that devastated Turkey and Syria, and emphasized that sanctions against Syria are not delaying that support.
US-Syria
US National Security Council Spokesperson at the White House John Kirby told the media during a briefing that Washington is working with the Turkish government and UN to ensure more access for global relief efforts to get to Syria.
He also confirmed that the US Secretary of State will also travel to Ankara on Monday to evaluate the situation, and added that victims’ needs have not changed the US’s policies toward Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Kirby said that the US has no direct communication with Syria and relief work is being done via UN. He added that they will not bring any change in its policy toward Assad’s regime in Syria and all of their sanctions are still in place. He added that two more crossings from Turkey to Syria have been opened recently, allowing additional support to reach quake victims in the region.
He further said that Washington has provided $85 million in aid, even providing helicopter support to supply aid to inaccessible areas of the quake zone.
