In its response to the earthquake disaster, the government relied on a set of procedures and organizational structures, which generated a set of questions about the nature, mechanisms, and determinants of its work. It was necessary to produce written, drawn, or illustrated cognitive content that meets cognitive needs.
1. Crossings in affected areas
The earthquake disaster that struck the country was accompanied by an explosion of many terms that we encounter every day on satellite channels and social media, and within government decisions and various statements. Therefore, today we are launching an explanatory series to try to explain many of these terms.
Today we begin by clarifying the locations of the various crossings that connect the areas affected by the earthquake, after there was a lot of talk about closed and open crossings during the previous days following the disaster.
Crossings are currently divided into two types:
* Border crossings: with Türkiye.
* Cross-line crossings: They connect areas controlled by the Syrian government with areas outside its control, which have witnessed the entry of ten relief convoys since 2021 and before the earthquake, the last of which was in January 2023 under the auspices of the World Food Program (WFP), in accordance with UN resolutions related to the entry of aid across borders and contact lines.
The attached map shows the number and distribution of crossings in the areas affected by the earthquake.
2. Supreme Relief Committee
In today’s explanatory series, we will talk about the Supreme Relief Committee, which is a national committee that is established in all countries in response to a disaster or emergency. Its mission is to coordinate all efforts, operations, and initiatives related to disasters and to develop a unified national response plan.
In Syria, this committee was established in 2011, and according to the decision of the Prime Minister then, “Imad Khamis”, No. 45/M, issued on 7/20/2016, the committee’s tasks were defined as follows:
- Coordination of relief and humanitarian work at the governmental level (central -central, central - local), coordination (governmental - non governmental), and coordination (national - international).
- Approval of a comprehensive national strategic vision prepared by the Planning and International Cooperation Authority in coordination with the relevant authorities at the central and local levels.
- Approval of the interim objectives and humanitarian projects required according to national needs and priorities.
- Defining and supervising the roles of active partners in relief and humanitarian work at all levels.
- Follow up on the implementation of the plans of ministries and governorates approved in the comprehensive national strategic vision.
- Conducting an evaluation process for the implementation of plans according to indicators set by the Planning and International Cooperation Authority and approved by the Committee.
- Searching for additional local and international funding sources in coordination with Resolution 51/2014 Committee, the Ministry of Finance, and the Planning and International Cooperation Authority to cover the needs gap.
- Coordination with Resolution 51/2014 Committee regarding the rehabilitation of damaged areas to which security and stability have been restored, with the aim of returning the displaced to them and securing food projects that will ensure the return of life.
- Issuing periodic reports on the relief and humanitarian situation.
- The decision allowed the committee to accept initiatives and donations presented to support relief efforts, and to seek assistance from whomever it deems appropriate to accomplish its tasks.
Today we wonder where the committee's plans have been since 2011 until now? Where are its reports and where is its response to the national earthquake disaster that struck the country? Where are its efforts and effectiveness?
3. National Disaster Fund
It was strongly present as a necessity since the first day of the disaster, and the Building movement demanded its creation in its first statement issued on February 6, and we heard about it officially for the first time on the fourth day of the disaster when the Council of Ministers approved the creation of a fund to rehabilitate the affected areas.
Unfortunately, the fund did not exist before the earthquake and to this day it does not exist. Such a fund needs a decree to be established. Furthermore, after searching Syrian legislation, no legal text was found that defines the term “disaster areas” or specifies the consequences of declaring them and the legal basis for financing relief operations and compensating those affected within them, and thus on which the establishment of the fund is based. Even the decision to establish the Supreme Relief Committee issued by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers did not include an explanation of how to secure funding for the decisions of this committee.
The National Disaster Fund is usually established in many countries to respond to disasters that may strike the country, with the aim of rehabilitating the affected areas and compensating those affected. It is mainly funded from the state budget according to the government plan, in addition to donations and grants provided to the state by organizations, countries and supporting parties during the disaster period.
4. Protecting and supporting women during disasters
A demand and priority for many international organizations and civil activists after the earthquake, so we will address it in today’s explanatory series.
We may have all noticed how all governmental, civil and social activities responded during the first moments of the earthquake to all needs related to safety, food and drink, but everyone needed two or three days to start thinking about protecting women and their needs related to their privacy.
This is what often happens in all disasters and crises, where the needs of women and young girls are ignored or forgotten, such as medical services and supplies related to the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and childbirth, in addition to neglecting the procedures that protect them from violence, harassment, and exploitation that worsen in crises, and not considering the medical risks and challenges that surround them as a result of overcrowding in shelters and the shared use of private facilities and bathrooms. In addition, it is common for women to be deprived of their opportunity and role in managing and implementing response and intervention work, and the psychological support and moral support provided to women often does not adequately take into account their concerns and their primary and nurturing role in providing support and protection to their children, especially since most of the women affected by the earthquake are breadwinners who lost their breadwinner in acts of violence in recent years.
The UN Commission on Syria stated in a statement that “women and children often face increased risk of discrimination, abuse and exploitation in the aftermath of natural disasters. Many women affected by today’s earthquake are likely to become the primary breadwinners for their families, internally displaced, or both.”
“Statistics say there are 130,000 pregnant women, 14,000 of whom are due to give birth next month. The earthquake destroyed hospitals and clinics. Despite women being among the most affected groups in humanitarian disasters, women are rarely given the opportunity to lead humanitarian response efforts, meaning that women’s needs are often overlooked during emergencies,” said Rasha Nasreddine, ActionAid’s director in the Arab region.
These figures and many other statistics and statements demonstrate the priority of meeting the needs of women during disasters and including them in all response plans, and continuous advocacy in all affected areas, especially at the relief and post-relief levels, in terms of evacuation, housing, recovery, reviving livelihoods, protection from violence and harassment, and appropriate and necessary psychological support.