UN confirms Israeli air raids on Aleppo airport impede life-saving aid

The airport came under attack by Israeli jets on Tuesday, the Syrian government said, forcing Damascus to reroute all flights carrying earthquake aid either to Damascus or Latakia.

“The closure could have severe humanitarian implications for people in Aleppo, one of the worst earthquake-impacted governorates in Syria,” El-Mostafa Benlamlih, the UN resident coordinator in Syria, said in a statement.

The air strikes have delayed the delivery of life-saving health supplies like tetanus vaccines, diabetes medication, and blood transfusion equipment, the statement added.

The attacks have forced the UN to suspend their own flights as part of the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) until at least 10 March.

“The impact of this closure impedes humanitarian access and could have drastic humanitarian consequences for millions of people who have been affected by the earthquake,” Benlamlih stated.

The Aleppo airport has been a main delivery point for aid deliveries from regional countries. The earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria a month ago left more than 50,000 dead, including around 6,000 in Syria, sparking a humanitarian crisis.