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Updated 09 Feb, 2023 03:27pm

‘No one helped us’: Syrian TikToker explains why focus on Turkey may cost lives

A young Syrian TikToker ‘disgusted’ at the apathy for Syrian earthquake victims launched into an outburst against the international community. Her video has gone viral on different social media platforms.

Patricia (patriciaa674) explained that Syrian were already suffering from the devastation caused by the seven-year war in the country and did not have basic amenities like electricity and gas when the earthquake struck, but the world was only focusing on Turkiye.

“And now the earthquake happend and not a single person tried to help us. Yes, I know it happed in Turkey, and I am so sorry for Turkey. And I know that there are a lot of people that suffered in Turkey, but we suffered too. Okay? We are humans. We are … humans. Stop that shit and stop like not helping us in any way. What did we do? We are human. It is not our fault that the war happened … we need you help. Poeple are daying, and they don’t have a place to go to.”

@patriciaa674 Please share this to everyone you know🙏🏼 Anything can help. Thank you❤️🙏🏼 #fyp #earthquake #syria #turkey #fypシ #suffering #humans #help #humanity ♬ original sound - patriciaa674

Pakistan sends aids

Syrian is under international sanctions and it cannot receive direct humanitarian aid from the international community.

Few flood relief flights were operated to Syria after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Syria and Turkiye on Monday morning.

Pakistan sent a plane load of relief items in a PIA flight that landed in Damascus.

Patricia shared an image from a flight tracking website showing empty Syrian airspace while planes fly around it.

The New York Times goes back on its word

The isolation of Syria and the fact that its earthquake-hit citizens were unable to receive aid was flagged by the New York Times earlier this week in a piece that said Syria is not able to receive direct aid from any countries because of sanctions, and that the only border crossing between Syria and Turkey was closed.

When people called for the lifting of sanctions, the NY Times edited the piece to say that the border crossing was tightly controlled by the Syrian government.

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