The United States on Monday (Aug 24) removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, rescinding a decades-old designation that came with severe economic restrictions and marking another step in warming ties between the countries.

The US Department of State also revoked its designation of al-Nusra Front – latterly known as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – as a global terrorist organisation. The Treasury Department announced corresponding sanctions relief. 

Rebels led by HTS overthrew long-time Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, with the group’s leader Ahmed al-Sharaa taking over as president as the country rebuilds after more than 13 years of civil war.

“Today’s action will help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.

Treasury said the moves were “in line with President (Donald) Trump’s promise to deliver sanctions relief to Syria.”

But the agency stressed that its removal of restrictions on Syria “does not change Treasury’s posture with regards to countering global terrorism and our commitment to hold bad actors in Syria accountable”.

WARMING TIES

HTS was earlier known as al-Nusra Front and was formerly the branch of Al-Qaeda in Syria. It broke ties with the jihadist group in 2016.

The United States had initially announced in July its intent to delist Syria as a state sponsor of terrorism, a move seen as a vote of confidence in Sharaa.

Trump met on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Türkiye with the Syrian president, a former jihadist who has sought to recast himself as a unifying figure after the toppling of the Assad family, which ruled with an iron fist for a half-century.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday’s delistings gave Syrians “a path to prosperity”.

The action “eliminates the final major barriers for private sector investment in Syria and promotes Syria’s economic recovery and reintegration into the global economy,” he said in a statement. 

Top officials in Damascus hailed the delisting as a major opportunity for the country, still economically devastated after more than a decade of war that rights groups say killed more than half a million people.

Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shaibani described Washington’s delisting as a “historic milestone” and said it reflected “the new Syrian state’s commitment to international peace and security”.

Finance Minister Mohammed Barnieh described the move as a “success for Syrian diplomacy”, according to the official news agency SANA.

It “opens a major and long-awaited door to strengthening Syria’s integration into the global economic and financial system, attracting investment and modern technologies, and supporting development opportunities”.

Central bank chief Safwat Raslan lauded the development, adding that his institution was “working to build a modern and reliable financial system capable of evolving with developments and taking advantage of all opportunities”. (CNA/ AFP)

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Syria’s ex-president Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher al-Assad and cousin Atef Najib have been sentenced to death after being convicted of crimes during the country’s nearly 14-year war.

The Criminal Court in Damascus on Tuesday found Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled in 2024 and now lives in exile in Russia, guilty of premeditated murder, torture and crimes against humanity, and sentenced him to death in absentia.

The court also sentenced his younger brother Maher al-Assad, also now living in Russia, to death in absentia for premediated murder and torture.

Atef Najib, the former head of political security in southern Syria’s Deraa province who was detained by Syrian authorities in January last year, was sentenced to death for “crimes against humanity”.

Najib, who launched a deadly crackdown on protesters in Deraa in 2011 that led to the uprising and later civil war, stood inside a cage wearing a prisoner’s uniform as the judge read the sentence.

His crimes include murder, “the intentional killing of children under 15” and “torture leading to death”, according to the court.

Ruling bringing Syrians ‘a lot of relief’

The ruling against al-Assad and his relatives is the first under the transitional authorities who this year began trying figures from the former government.

Judge Al-Aryan, who addressed the court, said witness testimony established the former Syrian leader’s role in the crimes as “the highest decision-maker,” and that he had used state institutions to facilitate their commission.

Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto, reporting from the Syrian capital Damascus, said today’s ruling “is going to bring a lot of relief to the Syrian people”, contributing to their “healing process”.

“This is something they’ve waited for a long time,” said Hitto. “They want to see these people that tortured their children, displaced them from their homes and destroyed their communities be held to account for these crimes.”

Hitto said the verdict would also set a strong legal precedent for others accused of crimes under al-Assad’s rule.

“People across Syrian towns are looking for justice, not just for al-Assad, but for the executioners,” said Al Jazeera’s Osama bin Javaid. (Al Jazeera)

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India’s humanitarian outreach to Syria continued with the delivery of a fresh consignment of critical medical aid, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

In a ‘X’ post on Tuesday, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “India’s humanitarian support to the people of Syria continues.”

He informed that India had “handed over a consignment of 5 MT of essential life-saving medicines, including anti-cancer, antibiotics and anti-hypertensives to Syria.”

The gesture is part of India’s ongoing efforts to provide relief and medical assistance to conflict-affected regions and underscores New Delhi’s commitment to extend support during humanitarian crises.

India’s continued commitment to global health support was also demonstrated on July 17, when it sent 300,000 doses of Measles and Rubella vaccines, along with other medical supplies, to Bolivia in response to a worsening outbreak in the country.

“India dispatched a consignment of 300,000 doses of Measles & Rubella vaccines along with ancillary supplies to support Bolivia in managing the outbreak of the disease. India stands by its friends in the Global South,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.

The shipment arrives at a crucial time as Bolivia has declared a National Health Emergency due to a resurgence of measles cases in several areas. So far, 60 confirmed cases have been reported, according to Xinhua.

“After urgently convening the National Strategic Council for Health Emergencies, in response to the measles epidemic that the country is experiencing and the high risk of the disease spreading, we have decided to declare a National Health Emergency with the firm intention of protecting the health and lives of the Bolivian people,” Bolivian President Luis Arce Catacora announced on social media, as quoted by Xinhua.

The emergency move aims to stop the virus from spreading through mass vaccination efforts and a coordinated response involving local governments, regional bodies, and international organisations. (ANI)

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At least 22 people have been killed and 63 injured in a suicide bombing at a church in Syria’s capital of Damascus, according to state media.

Worshippers had gathered for a packed Sunday service at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighbourhood when the attack took place.

The suicide bomber entered and opened fire, before detonating his explosive vest, Syria’s interior ministry said in a statement.

It said the suicide bomber was a member of Islamic State (IS).

A security source told Reuters two men were involved in the attack, including the man who blew himself up.

It is the first suicide bombing in Damascus since Bashar al-Assad was toppled by an Islamist-led rebel insurgency in December.

People tried to stop suicide bomber

The blast sparked panic and fear in the church, which had been full of worshippers, including children and the elderly, eyewitnesses said.

The building was strewn with wood from fittings and pews after the attack, with fallen icons and pools of blood on the floor.

Families are still searching for missing loved ones, with some local media reporting children were among the dead.

Lawrence Maamari was inside the church when the attack happened.

He told AFP a man had entered and begun shooting, with people trying “to stop him before he blew himself up”.

Ziad Helou, who was at a shop nearby, said he heard gunfire then an explosion, and saw glass flying.

“We saw fire in the church and the remains of wooden benches thrown all the way to the entrance,” he said.

‘Ensure the protection of all citizens’

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it was the first suicide attack inside a church in Syria since war erupted in 2011.

IS has been behind several attempted attacks on churches in Syria since Mr Assad’s fall.

But a security source told Reuters this was the first to succeed.

The Orthodox patriarchate in Damascus urged authorities to “bear full responsibility for what … is happening concerning the violation of the sanctity of churches, and to ensure the protection of all citizens”.

The United Nations special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, expressed “outrage at this heinous crime”, calling for a full investigation.

Syria’s foreign ministry described the attack as “a desperate attempt to undermine national coexistence and to destabilise the country”.

Interior minister says investigations underway

Since the new authorities took power, the international community has urged the government to protect minorities and ensure their participation in Syria’s transition, particularly after sectarian violence in recent months.

Syria’s interior minister, Anas Khattab, said specialised teams had begun investigating.

“These terrorist acts will not stop the efforts of the Syrian state in achieving civil peace,” he said in a statement.

Earlier this month, Mr Khattab said IS had attempted attacks against Christian and Shiite communities that authorities had thwarted.

Syria’s Christian community has shrunk from about 1 million before the war to under 300,000 due to displacement and emigration. (ABC)

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Indian nationals evacuated from war-torn Syria reached Delhi airport on Saturday. They expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indian embassy for bringing them back home.

Indian nationals who returned to India shared their experience of staying in Syria in the past few days and how the embassy helped them to come back to India.

Recounting how embassy helped him, an Indian national said, “I had been there in Syria for about six months and the situation was normal there. When the conflict broke out between the rebels and the government, we contacted the embassy and also to those people close to us. They told us that we have to leave today. We were ready but then they told us to hold for sometime as there were celebrations there and you might get hurt. Then after three days, they told us to leave. 75 people had left before me. We were there in the embassy for two days. The embassy helped us and took very good care of us. After that, embassy talked to the company. My company booked tickets for me. The embassy booked tickets for 75 people.”

Praising government’s efforts for evacuating them from Syria, he said, “After that, the embassy team brought two of us to the Lebanon border, then took us to the hotel. Then the next team went from Lebanon to Beirut. There was contact with everyone, whether someone is in Emirate or somewhere else and everyone is in the group. There are about 80-90 people. Everyone else has just left. Now we will sleep peacefully. The government has done well. It is not easy to evacuate 75 people and bring us out of the naxalite area, although there is embassy there. We would visit embassy on 15 August and 26 January. We always remained in touch with the embassy.”

Another Indian national said that he was living in Syria for past six years. He said that Indian embassy supported them and provided them food, accommodation.

He said, “I have been in Syria for six years. We two men have been together. There has never been any such problem in Syria for six years, there has never been any such problem. This time it has happened. We used to visit Indian Embassy on Independence Day and Republic Day and know Indians there. Those people who are there have helped them and have provided us everything. Our company had booked ticket for us. We were in touch with embassy. We reached the Embassy and stayed for two nights, then our company booked the tickets, then sent us from the embassy to Lebanon. The embassy supported us with accomodation and food.”

Speaking about the arrangement made by the Indian embassy, he said, “It is very good. I am saying that the system is very good. Everything is good. From Damascus to Lebanon, the arrangement and facilities done by the embassy is very good.”

Another Indian national said that the embassy had given them assurance that they would evacuate them in case the situation turns bad in Syria. He thanked PM Narendra Modi for the support.

He said, “We were in touch with Indian Embassy. We always told the Indian Embassy that we will do as you say, we will not be stressed for it. They told us that it’s a civil war, if it settles down, it’s okay. If it does not, then we’ll take you out. One day, the embassy called us and told us that we have to leave. We came to the Indian Embassy in Damascus and they then took us to Lebanon border. I wanted to thank PM Modi for their support.”

Praising Indian embassy’s efforts, he said, “People from Pakistan had to wait for 36 hours for visa. But, we got visa within six hours. The Indian embassy helped us a lot. We were kept in a five-star hotel for three to four days and provided food.”

This action of embassy comes as part of India’s ongoing efforts to protect its citizens caught in the violence in Syria.

Earlier in the day, four Indians evacuated from Syria arrived at Delhi airport. Indian nationals have expressed happiness on reaching India and praised Indian embassy for their efforts in bringing them back home.

Earlier on Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that 77 Indian nationals had been evacuated from strife torn Syria so far. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the Indian embassies in Middle East region are in touch with Indians there and will help them if need arises.The spokesperson also said that there is no need for evacuation from any other country as of now.

“So far, 77 Indians have been evacuated, these are those who wanted to return. In addition to that, several other Indians have settled there, married there or are pursuing some vocation and still continue to live there. If they want to return, we will facilitate their return. These 77 were evacuated via Lebanon, and our embassies in Lebanon and Syria coordinated very closely. We brought them by road, after which the Indian embassy in Lebanon facilitated their immigration. The immigration at the border was long and there was a lot of people, so it was quite an exercise. Then we took care of their boarding and lodging, made arrangements for the stay. Out of the 77, 44 were on a pilgrimage to various sites in the region. They have left Beirut for other places and the remaining 30 have either returned or are travelling as we speak, and will be returning to India soon,” he said.

Jaiswal added that the MEA has issued several advisories to people in different Middle Eastern countries like Lebanon and Israel and are in touch with them. However, they do not need to be evacuated as of now.

“We are in touch with others in Damascus and if they require, the Indian embassy will give them a helping hand. We have 3,000 people in Lebanon, about 1,000 people in UNDOF and UNIFIL. We have issued several advisories to stay in touch with our embassies. If tomorrow there is any need for evacuation, we will do that. But, as of now, nothing of that sort is in pipeline. In Israel, we have 32,000 Indian nationals who are working there and the Indian embassy is in touch with them for their welfare. So far there are no evacuation plans from any other country,” he said. (Hindustan Times)

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The conflict between the USA and the USSR, during the era of the Cold War, had far-reaching consequences that extended beyond their borders, with Syria being one of the nations caught in the crossfire. Over the past decade, Syrians have endured the complexities of political manoeuvring amidst a backdrop of socio-political and humanitarian challenges. Additionally, the civil war in Syria transformed the country into a haven for terrorism. In the aftermath of this long and devastating war, the global community has mobilised to support Syria’s efforts in rebuilding and reconstruction. In this endeavour, India has emerged as a significant player, offering a distinctive combination of diplomatic expertise and development assistance. With a history of engaging with Syria since 2011, India’s contributions have been instrumental in addressing the multifaceted dimensions of the crisis and aiding in the rebirth of Syria.

India has always enjoyed a positive relationship with the regime, both historically and currently. Syria has praised India’s “balanced” approach to the problem and requested the BRICS to participate more actively and constructively in finding a solution. India actively seeks to participate in the international negotiations in order to forge agreement with the world community, even if it is not in India’s current best interest to be directly involved in any way.

Starting in 2011, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Fayssal Mekdad visited India to express gratitude for its support during the unrest, India has consistently shown its commitment to Syria’s stability. In the same year, the India-Syria Business Association (ISBA) delegation embarked on a visit to Syria to explore business and investment opportunities in various sectors. This delegation was a significant initiative aimed at bolstering economic ties between India and Syria. The visit witnessed the participation of Indian businessmen from diverse industries such as pharmaceuticals, textiles, engineering, and IT. India, as a testament to its commitment, inked three pivotal agreements with Syria during the visit. The first was a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a joint Business Council between India and Syria. The second notable agreement was the Protocol on Trade and Investment Cooperation, signed between the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Syrian Chambers of Commerce. Recognising the significance of the agricultural sector, India and Syria signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of Agriculture. as a stepping stone towards strengthening economic ties between India and Syria. The agreements signed during this visit underscored India’s unwavering support for Syria’s development and rebuilding efforts. They showcased India’s belief in the existence of promising business and investment opportunities in Syria. In 2012, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met with Syrian Prime Minister Wael Al Halki, expressing concern over the ongoing violence and offering support for a Syrian-led political process. Indian delegations, both as part of the IBSA initiative and through bilateral visits, engaged with Syrian leadership to discuss ways to strengthen relations and find solutions to the crisis. Notably, high-level meetings between Indian and Syrian officials took place in 2016 and 2017, addressing issues such as bilateral cooperation, political solutions, and the fight against terrorism. These interactions highlight India’s continued commitment to contribute to Syria’s recovery and reconstruction efforts.

In the past, India took part in the UN-sponsored Geneva II conference in 2014, where the country’s opposition to a military solution was emphasised by Salman Khurshid, the then-minister of external affairs. Through the Kuwait International Conferences, India had also pledged $4 million in humanitarian help. India’s commitment to peace and stability in the region is the reason for its participation in the reconstruction project. The Indian government has given the war-torn areas humanitarian relief, including medical care, food supplies, and shelter. India has also contributed expertise in a number of fields, including infrastructure development, healthcare, education, and agriculture.

Through bilateral and multilateral avenues, India has been providing humanitarian, technical, and development support to Syria. The latest in a series of initiatives to assist the war-torn nation, where violence and economic collapse over the past decade have left the majority of the population in poverty, India gave 2,000 tonnes of rice to Syria to boost food security. Syrian Minister of Local Administration and Head of the Local Administration Ministry, Hussain Makhlouf received the first shipment of 1,000 tons of rice from Indian Ambassador Hifzur Rahman at the Latakia port in 2019.

Additionally, even throughout the COVID outbreak, India provided medical supplies to Syria. This included essentials such as personal protective equipment (PPE), testing kits, masks, and other medical equipment. India continued to send monthly supplies of food and medicine and other essential items to vulnerable populations affected by the crisis. Speaking at a UNSC session on Syria’s political and humanitarian circumstances, Ms. Ruchira Kamboj said these things. As a part of the Covid-19 aid, India donated 10 tonnes of medications to Syria in July of 2021.

A camp to fit “Jaipur foot” prosthetic limbs was held in Damascus in January 2020 and helped more than 500 Syrian citizens. It was organised by the external affairs ministry in collaboration with Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti. This initiative aimed to provide prosthetic limbs to those who had lost their limbs due to conflict, injuries, or other circumstances in Syria. The camp involved a team of Indian doctors and experts who worked with local authorities and organisations to identify and assess individuals who needed prosthetic limbs. The fitted prosthetics helped improve the mobility and quality of life for the beneficiaries.

The Indian government has also focussed on the education sector of Syria and aims at making the youth educated as well as mindful enough to solve the issues. For this, one thousand Syrian students received scholarships from India to attend undergraduate, graduate, and even PhD programs in Indian universities. The initiative to offer scholarships to Syrian students is motivated by a desire to see success stories from the African continent, where several current or former presidents, prime ministers, and vice presidents have attended educational or training institutions in India, replicated there in the near future. Even the Syrian ambassador to India, Riad Abbas said, “Through this means India is assisting Syria by rebuilding the brain”, “the brain of our people to plant education, science, and peace”.

Apart from the social, political and economic drain, the civil war prevented developmental progress on a significant dam that India had helped build. Syria received a line of credit (LoC) for $240 million to partially finance (52%) the $400 million Tishreen Thermal Power Plant Extension project. The project was put on hold by India’s BHEL when the crisis started, which had several corresponding problems, including demurrage fees on the imported equipment and accumulated interest on unpaid bills. During a series of negotiations between officials from the two sides, all of these difficulties were amicably resolved, and India granted Syria’s request to restructure the Line of Control. Syria has been given lines of credit (LOC) from India worth USD 280 million. This support is given so that Syria can construct a steel plant and a power plant. The extension work at BHEL is anticipated to pick up. In October 2021, a Next-Generation Centre for Information Technology was established in Damascus.

India has assumed a multifaceted role in the process of reconstructing Syria following the catastrophic events that have transpired. This role has been manifested in various domains, including economic, developmental, social, and political, through the provision of humanitarian aid and diplomatic measures aimed at restoring peace and stability in the region. While the Western world views Syria as a deeply troubled nation, India perceives Damascus as a formidable country with a potent military that has successfully repelled the Islamic State militia, which once posed a significant threat to the country’s existence. Consequently, India’s efforts are geared towards supporting Syria and reclaiming its former position. (Global Order)

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Rescuers pulled more survivors from the rubble on Sunday, nearly a week after one of the worst earthquakes to hit Turkey and Syria, as Turkish authorities sought to maintain order across the disaster zone and began legal action over building collapses.

With chances of finding more survivors growing more remote, the toll in both countries from Monday’s earthquake and major aftershocks rose above 33,000 and looked set to keep growing. It was the deadliest quake in Turkey since 1939.

In a central district of one of the worst-hit cities, Antakya in southern Turkey, business owners emptied their shops on Sunday to prevent merchandise from being stolen by looters.

Residents and aid workers who came from other cities cited worsening security conditions, with widespread accounts of businesses and collapsed homes being robbed.

Facing questions over his response to the earthquake as he prepares for a national election that is expected to be the toughest of his two decades in power, President Tayyip Erdogan has said the government will deal firmly with looters.

In Syria, the disaster hit hardest in the rebel-held northwest, leaving homeless yet again many people who had already been displaced several times by a decade-old civil war. The region has received little aid compared to government-held areas.

“We have so far failed the people in north-west Syria,” United Nations aid chief Martin Griffiths tweeted from the Turkey-Syria border, where only a single crossing is open for U.N. aid supplies.

“They rightly feel abandoned,” Griffiths said, adding that he was focused on addressing that swiftly.

Washington called on the Syrian government and all other parties in the country to immediately grant humanitarian access to all those in need.

More than six days after the first quake struck, emergency workers still found a handful of people clinging to life in the wreckage of homes that had become tombs for many thousands. (Reuters)

Five things to do when in an earthquake

•  If you are INDOORS — STAY THERE! Get under a desk or table and hang on to it (Drop, Cover, and Hold on!) or move into a hallway or against an inside wall. STAY CLEAR of windows, fireplaces, and heavy furniture or appliances. GET OUT of the kitchen, which is a dangerous place (things can fall on you). DON’T run downstairs or rush outside while the building is shaking or while there is danger of falling and hurting yourself or being hit by falling glass or debris.
• If you are OUTSIDE — get into the OPEN, away from buildings, power lines, chimneys, and anything else that might fall on you.
• If you are DRIVING — stop, but carefully. Move your car as far out of traffic as possible. DO NOT stop on or under a bridge or overpass or under trees, light posts, power lines, or signs. STAY INSIDE your car until the shaking stops. When you RESUME driving, watch for breaks in the pavement, fallen rocks, and bumps in the road at bridge approaches.
• If you are in a MOUNTAINOUS AREA — watch out for falling rock, landslides, trees, and other debris that could be loosened by quakes.
• If you are near the OCEAN – see these safety rules from NOAA’s Tsunami Warning Center.(NewsWire)

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Turkey’s president has rejected growing criticism of the authorities’ response to Monday’s huge earthquakes, as the death toll passed 15,000 across Turkey and Syria and rescuers continued to pull survivors from the freezing rubble.

Making his first visit to Turkey’s worst-affected region since the 7.8- and 7.5-magnitude quakes hit within hours of each other, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan acknowledged early problems with Turkey’s response but said it was now working well.

“Of course, there are shortcomings. The conditions are clear to see. It’s not possible to be ready for a disaster like this,” Erdoğan said on a visit to Hatay, a southern province that has the highest death toll in the country.

Many Turks have complained of a lack of equipment and support as they waited helplessly next to the rubble of their apartment blocks, unable to rescue relatives and neighbours trapped inside despite sometimes hearing cries for help.

Erdoğan condemned the mounting criticism of rescue efforts. “This is a time for unity, solidarity. I cannot stomach people conducting negative campaigns for political interest,” said the president, who faces an election in May.

Officials have confirmed 12,391 people died in Turkey in the aftermath of the twin quakes. According to Syrian officials and a rescue group in rebel-held north-west Syria, the death toll there has reached 2,992, bringing the combined tally to 15,383.

Experts have predicted the toll in both countries will rise further, and perhaps more than double, as hundreds of collapsed buildings in many cities have become tombs for people who were asleep when the first quake hit in the early morning.

Erdoğan, wary of the impact of any perception his government was failing in its response to Turkey’s most deadly quake since 1939, has declared a state of emergency in the areas concerned and sent in troops to help. He has also promised new housing within a year for those left homeless in the 10 affected provinces, where an estimated 64,000 buildings have been destroyed.

Survivors in southern Turkey and north-west Syria, meanwhile, spent a second night in the freezing cold, many taking refuge in their cars or under blankets in the streets, fearful of going back into potentially seriously weakened buildings.

A winter storm and subzero temperatures have rendered many roads in the region – some of them already severely damaged by the earthquakes – almost impassable, resulting in traffic jams that stretch for miles in some areas. A lack of heavy equipment is also severely hindering the rescue effort.

The World Health Organization (WHO), which has previously said up to 23 million people may be affected by the quakes, on Wednesday announced it was sending a high-level delegation to coordinate its response in both countries, as well as three flights with medical supplies, one of which is already on its way to Istanbul.

“The health needs are tremendous,” said Dr Iman Shankiti, the WHO representative for Syria, with many thousands injured and a healthcare system shattered by civil war. In Turkey, the WHO representative Batyr Berdyklychev said more than 53,000 people were injured.

The organisation’s incident manager for the earthquake, Rob Holden, said many needed support with the “basics of life”, such as clean water and shelter. “We are in real danger of seeing a secondary disaster which may cause harm to more people than the initial disaster,” Holden said.

Many countries have so far pledged aid, and international rescue teams have begun to arrive. For those in the stricken areas, help could not come soon enough. “Where are the tents, where are food trucks?” Melek, 64, in the southern city of Antakya, asked a Reuters reporter.

“We haven’t seen any food distribution here. We survived the earthquake, but we will die here due to hunger or cold here.”

Emergency workers on Wednesday saved several children discovered under a collapsed building in Hatay. “All of a sudden we heard … the voices of three people at the same time,” said one rescuer, Alperen Çetinkaya.

In many parts of Turkey hit by the quakes, shops were closed and there was no heat because gas pipes had been shut to avoid explosions. “My nephew, my sister-in-law and my sister-in-law’s sister are in the ruins,” Semire Çoban, an infant school teacher in Hatay, told Agence France-Presse.

“They are trapped under the ruins and there is no sign of life. We can’t reach them. We are trying to talk to them, but they are not responding … We are waiting for help. It has been 48 hours now.”

Authorities have said about 13.5 million people have been affected in Turkey. Aid officials were particularly alarmed, however, by the situation in Syria, already devastated by 11 years of a civil war that has hugely complicated relief efforts.

The EU on Wednesday confirmed it would send €3.5m (£3.1m) in aid to Syria, currently subject to sanctions by the bloc, after Damascus officially requested assistance on Wednesday. The EU is also sending an initial €3m in aid to Turkey.

The European commissioner for crisis management, Janez Lenarčič, said the commission was also “encouraging” EU member countries to respond to Damascus’s request for medical supplies and food while monitoring to ensure that any aid was “not diverted” by Bashar al-Assad’s government. (The Guardian)

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Rescuers in Turkey and Syria dug with their bare hands through the freezing night Tuesday hunting for survivors among the rubble of thousands of buildings felled in a series of violent earthquakes.

The confirmed death toll across the two countries has soared above 4,300 after a swarm of strong tremors near the Turkey-Syria border — the largest of which measured at a massive 7.8-magnitude.

Turkish and Syrian disaster response teams report more than 5,600 buildings have been flattened across several cities, including many multi-storey apartment blocks that were filled with sleeping residents when the first quake struck.

In the city of Kahramanmaras in southeastern Turkey, eyewitnesses struggled to comprehend the scale of the disaster.

“We thought it was the apocalypse,” said Melisa Salman, a 23-year-old reporter. “That was the first time we have ever experienced anything like that.”

Turkey’s relief agency AFAD on Tuesday said there were now 2,921 deaths in that country alone, bringing the confirmed tally to 4,365.

There are fears that toll will rise inexorably, with World Health Organization officials estimating up to 20,000 may have died.

In Gaziantep, a Turkish city home to countless refugees from Syria’s decade-old civil war, rescuers picking through the rubble screamed, cried and clamoured for safety as another building collapsed nearby without warning.

The initial earthquake was so large it was felt as far away as Greenland, and the impact is big enough to have sparked a global response.

Dozens of nations from Ukraine to New Zealand have vowed to send help, although freezing rain and sub-zero temperatures have slowed the response.

In the southeastern Turkish city of Sanliurfa, rescuers were working into the night to try and pull survivors from the wreckage of a seven-storey building that had collapsed.

“There is a family I know under the rubble,” said 20-year-old Syrian student Omer El Cuneyd.

“Until 11:00 am or noon, my friend was still answering the phone. But she no longer answers. She is down there.”

Despite freezing temperatures outside, terrified residents spent the night on the streets, huddling around fires for warmth.

Mustafa Koyuncu packed his wife and their five children into their car, too scared to move.

“We can’t go home,” the 55-year-old told AFP. “Everyone is afraid.”

Some of the heaviest devastation occurred near the quake’s epicentre between Kahramanmaras and Gaziantep, where entire city blocks lay in ruins under gathering snow.

– ‘Apocalypse’ –

Monday’s first earthquake struck at 4:17am (0117 GMT) at a depth of about 18 kilometres (11 miles) near the Turkish city of Gaziantep, which is home to around two million people, the US Geological Survey said.

More than 14,000 people have so far been reported injured in Turkey, the disaster management agency said, while Syria said at least 3,411 people were injured.

Officials said three major airports have been rendered inoperable, complicating deliveries of vital aid.

A winter blizzard has covered major roads into the area in ice and snow.

Much of the quake-hit area of northern Syria has already been decimated by years of war and aerial bombardment by Syrian and Russia forces that destroyed homes, hospitals and clinics.

The conflict is already shaping the emergency response, with Syria’s envoy to the United Nations Bassam Sabbagh seemingly ruling out reopening border crossings that would allow aid to reach areas controlled by rebel groups.

The Syrian health ministry reported damage across the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Tartus, where Russia is leasing a naval facility.

Even before the tragedy, buildings in Aleppo — Syria’s pre-war commercial hub — often collapsed due to the dilapidated infrastructure, which has suffered from a lack of wartime oversight.

Officials cut off natural gas and power supplies across the region as a precaution, also closing schools for two weeks.

The UN cultural agency UNESCO expressed fears over heavy damage in two cities on its heritage list — Aleppo in Syria and Diyarbakir in Turkey.

At a jail holding mostly Islamic State group members in northwestern Syria, prisoners mutinied after the quakes, with at least 20 escaping, a source at the facility told AFP.

The United States, the European Union and Russia all immediately sent condolences and offers of help.

President Joe Biden promised his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the United States will send “any and all” aid needed to help recover from a devastating earthquake.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also offered to provide “the necessary assistance” to Turkey, whose combat drones are helping Kyiv fight the Russian invasion.

Turkey is in one of the world’s most active earthquake zones.

The country’s last 7.8-magnitude tremor was in 1939, when 33,000 died in the eastern Erzincan province.

The Turkish region of Duzce suffered a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in 1999, when more than 17,000 people died.

Experts have long warned a large quake could devastate Istanbul, a megalopolis of 16 million people filled with rickety homes. (NDTV)

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