Syrian and Turkey's Earthquakes, and US Imperialism

On Monday, Feb 6, a fatale 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, reporting to have decimated thousands of homes and city infrastructure, and killing 5,000 people so far. Rescue and emergency recovery teams have been sent to both nations, international and local responders have been working non-stop to dig out the living, and their kins' deceased corpses.

Despite this catastrophic event was caused by the natural world, imperialism is festering the wounds endured by the Syrian people. The lack of direct aid from the UN and US is justified on the basis that they choose to withhold sending state relief until the Bashar al-Assad regime of Syria compels to their demands. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said, “It would be quite ironic—if not even counterproductive—for us to reach out to a government that has brutalized its people over the course of a dozen years now.”

NGOs from the West are allowed to fly over to support, but in general the bulk of the relief aid for Syria is coming from Eastern bloc nations, and in lower intervals compared to Turkey, since that nation is not a rebel to Western hegemony.

The US is remaining dedicated to practicing the Caesar Act of 2020, “according to which any group or company doing business with the Syrian government faces sanctions. The act extends the scope of the previously existing sanctions on Syria, imposed by the US and its European allies since the beginning of the war in the country in 2011.”

Sanctions are keeping necessary relief aid from arriving to Syria, costing more lives every second. All in the interest to maintain western hegemony.

President of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent Khaled Hboubati said at a press conference on Tuesday, as reported by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).”  “We need heavy equipment, ambulances and fire fighting vehicles to continue to rescue and remove the rubble, and this entails lifting sanctions on Syria as soon as possible.”