Turkey is blocking humanitarian aid to Kurdish earthquake victims in northern Syria

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The US-based Genocide Watch NGO has declared a “Genocide Watch” for the Kurds in northern Syria and Iraq as Turkey is not only continuing its bombing campaign against them but is also blocking the delivery of humanitarian aid to Kurdish victims of the recent devastating earthquake.

Turkey has subjected the Kurdish to mass murder, deportation, and the denial of their independence and ethnic identity since the 1920s, Genocide Watch notes.

In the wake of the February 6 earthquake, which killed around 50,000 people in Turkey and northern Syria, the Turkish government led by President Tayyip Erdoğan is restricting the ability of the Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) to deliver aid to its communities.

“International reliance on Turkey to fairly distribute aid to Kurds in northern Syria has been betrayed, Genocide Watch says in its report. “Despite Turkey’s earthquake and a generous response by international donors, including rescue workers, medical personnel, and supplies from Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government, Turkey has resumed its ongoing bombing campaign against Iraqi Kurdistan.”

Calling on the international community to assist the Kurds, Genocide Watch recommends: “European and American assistance to Turkey for earthquake recovery should require that the aid be equally distributed to Kurds in Syria and Turkey.”

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