Two weeks after devastating earthquakes struck northwest Syria, impacting thousands of lives, an urgent scale up of humanitarian assistance is still needed. 

In recent days, two Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) trucks from Beirut have reached the city of Tartus, in Syria. 

The trucks supplied 35 cubic metres of medical kits and around 50 cubic metres of essential items, including surgical and trauma kits, hygiene kits, shelters, blankets and water treatment units, to the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) in Tartus, to assist people affected by the earthquakes.

This will be the first MSF donation since the earthquake in areas where our teams are not present. We stand ready to provide care to people impacted by the earthquakes in the affected governorates: Idlib, Latakia, Aleppo and Hama. 

“Everyone affected should receive immediate humanitarian assistance wherever they are, and we remain committed to providing this, wherever access is granted,” says Ahmed Abdel-Rahman, MSF director of operations. “We reiterate the offer made immediately after the earthquake, to send supplies and specialist teams to all affected regions where we are not present.”  

Since 6 February, our teams have significantly scaled up our response in northwest Syria, where we have been present for more than 10 years. This support has included direct medical assistance as well as the provision of logistical supplies to Idlib and Aleppo. In Türkiye, we are working with local partners on distribution and relief aid assistance.