Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Approves Opening of Two Border Crossings for Turkey's Access to Earthquake Relief

JAKARTA - The United Nations (UN) welcomes Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's decision on Monday, to open "two Bab Al-Salam and Al Ra'ee border crossing points from Turkey to northwestern Syria for three months, in order to allow the timely delivery of humanitarian aid."

"Opening these crossing points – along with facilitating humanitarian access, speeding visa approval and easing travel between hubs – will allow more aid to come in, faster," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement, citing CNN, February 14.

Separately, after briefing the Security Council behind closed doors, Turkish Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu said his country was "ready to open" the borders, citing The National News.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Ambassador to the UN, Bassam Sabbagh confirmed the agreement and stated his country's commitment to deliver humanitarian aid over the next three months to Syria, "wherever they are on Syrian soil."

The delivery of urgent supplies to quake-hit rebel-held areas in northern and northwestern Syria has been complicated by the protracted civil war between the opposition groups and the Syrian government.

Starting last Thursday, the United Nations sent its first aid convoy to Syria from Turkey since the quake occurred, via the only border crossing opened by Bab al-Hawa. Since then, additional UN aid convoys have entered through the same border.

Previously, the UN was under increasing pressure to find a new way, to set aside political pressure and build more border crossings from Turkey to Syria, as the humanitarian problem escalated.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on February 6 has killed more than 36,000 people so far.

The death toll across Turkey and Syria as of Monday reached at least 36.217. Data from the Turkish Emergency Coordination Center SAKOM said the death toll from the earthquake in the country reached 31.643 people.

Meanwhile in Syria, the confirmed death toll reached 4.574. The number includes more than 3.160 in opposition-held parts of northwestern Syria, according to the Ministry of Health.

Syria's death toll also includes 1.414 deaths in government-controlled areas of Syria, according to state news agency SANA.