The ruinous earthquake that has destroyed an entire region on the border between Turkey and Syria is claiming thousands of victims and the count continues to rise.
The tragic event occurred in a region that has been the scene of a bloody war for more than 11 years. The Community of Sant'Egidio is particularly concerned about the governorates of Aleppo and Idlib in Syria, which have been devastated by the conflict and where little international aid is reaching because of the international sanctions affecting the country.
We believe it is time to suspend the sanctions to allow relief to arrive copiously and as quickly as possible to help the people exhausted by war and earthquake.
The Community of Sant'Egidio appeals to the international community to facilitate urgent humanitarian access to Syria - by air and by land - so that as many of those affected and those who have lost everything in this cold winter can be rescued.
