"Abandoned and Left to Fend for Themselves: Syrians Struggle for Aid in Wake of Devastating Earthquake"

Syrians in rebel-held territory are struggling to recover from a devastating earthquake that hit the area on February 6, as international aid has yet to arrive. The earthquake claimed 2,274 lives, and many survivors are living in the rubble-filled streets with no shelter or access to aid. Ali al-Eid, a resident of Jinderes, was one of the many victims left to fend for himself after the earthquake, sleeping in a tent that cost him $150 after he accused a local of hoarding supplies. Aid deliveries to areas outside of the regime's control have been heavily politicized since the start of the war, with the UN rarely expressing its discontent.

The international community immediately responded to the earthquake by sending hundreds of millions of dollars in supplies and specialist rescue teams to disaster-hit southern Turkey, located just an hour's drive north of Jinderes. However, almost a week after the earthquake, no international aid had arrived, leaving the victims to fend for themselves as they have gotten used to doing throughout 12 years of civil war. The last remnants of the armed opposition are holding on in northern enclaves, some under the protection of Turkey. About 2 million people live in enclaves under Turkish control that rely heavily on support from Ankara, including those living around Jinderes, and the majority depend on foreign aid to survive.

Aid deliveries have been heavily restricted by Assad and his ally Russia on the UN Security Council, which together have gradually restricted aid flows. The UN, which operates in both regime- and opposition-controlled areas, has rarely expressed its discontent, which critics say helps it maintain access to regime-held areas at the expense of desperate residents of the north-west. The UN has also faced criticism for pre-planning most of the aid sent since the earthquake, which did not include emergency relief or rescue equipment.

Local charities and Turkish disaster relief agencies have sent relief, and trucks from Iraq's Kurdistan region, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have also begun to arrive. However, the earthquake has left locals in a state of desperation and chaos, and many fear that they will not receive the aid they need without international groups coming in to distribute it.

The earthquake has hit a region already struggling with instability, with dozens of factions competing for resources and young men running around with guns they barely know how to hold. Fighters who escorted a Financial Times team around Jinderes expressed resentment at being occupied by foreigners despite the salaries they receive from Ankara, worth $50 a month. The Turkish presence is felt heavily at every turn, but locals still complain of instability.