Tag: middleeast

The Middle East is Emerging as a Serious Hotspot — Here’s What Entrepreneurs Worldwide Can Learn | Entrepreneur

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Over the last decade, the Middle East has undergone a profound transformation. Traditionally viewed as an oil-rich region, the Middle East has been diversifying its economies, creating an entrepreneurial landscape ripe with opportunity. The region’s dynamic economies, bolstered by ambitious economic diversification and innovation plans, have created a favorable environment for global entrepreneurs.

With its expansive Vision 2030 economic reform plan, Saudi Arabia has been leading this transformation. Still, the entrepreneurial wave is being felt across the region — from the United Arab Emirates to Qatar, Bahrain and beyond.

Related: Entrepreneur Middle East

Diverse economies foster entrepreneurship

Countries across the Middle East are showing increased commitment to fostering entrepreneurship as they seek to diversify their economies beyond oil. Governments are investing heavily in infrastructure and establishing regulatory frameworks that are conducive to business, creating a fertile ground for startups and SMEs.

For instance, Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan aims to foster a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation. To achieve these goals, the kingdom promotes sectors like tourism, entertainment and technology, providing ample opportunities for entrepreneurs. Likewise, the United Arab Emirates Vision 2021 aims to make the UAE among the best countries in the world by the Golden Jubilee of the Union, and it recognizes entrepreneurship as a key driver of competitiveness and growth.

Related: The Changing Face Of Business In The Middle East

The strategic advantage of location

In today’s globalized economy, the Middle East’s strategic geographic position cannot be underestimated. The region serves as a bridge between the East and West, providing businesses easy access to markets in Africa, Asia and Europe. The region’s extensive logistical and transportation networks further enhance its attractiveness as a hub for international business.

Investing in innovation

The Middle East’s commitment to innovation is mirrored in its vibrant investment scene. Sovereign wealth funds, private investors, and venture capitalists actively invest in promising ventures, providing the financial fuel that startups need to scale and thrive. For instance, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) has been actively investing in tech companies and startups domestically and internationally, providing the necessary capital for growth.

At the same time, governments are backing initiatives such as startup incubators and accelerators, offering new businesses resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities to navigate the entrepreneurial landscape.

The advantage of a tech-savvy population

One of the Middle East’s greatest assets is its young, tech-savvy population. With one of the world’s highest smartphone penetration and internet usage rates, the region’s consumers are eager for innovative products and services. This creates lucrative opportunities, particularly in the digital and e-commerce sectors, which are experiencing explosive growth.

Overcoming challenges and obstacles

Despite the significant potential, the Middle East’s entrepreneurial scene is not without its challenges. Entrepreneurs often cite regulatory complexities, bureaucratic red tape, and the need for more robust intellectual property rights as hurdles to business. However, governments are showing a commitment to addressing these issues, and the business environment is improving year by year.

Moreover, the region is also grappling with the need to develop a culture of entrepreneurship and risk-taking, a shift from the traditional preference for stable government jobs. However, the tides are changing, and the growing success of startups in the region inspires a new generation of entrepreneurs.

The Middle East, with its strategic location, vibrant economies, supportive government initiatives and untapped market potential, presents a compelling opportunity for global entrepreneurs. With the right insight, cultural understanding and innovative solutions, the region offers rewarding opportunities for those willing to navigate its unique landscape.

As governments continue to foster entrepreneurship, and with increasing global interest in the region, the Middle East is emerging as a hotspot for global startups and a region worth considering for entrepreneurs looking to expand their horizons.

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Henri Al Helaly

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August 4, 2023
Live updates: Israel passes judicial reform

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Protestors against the reform wave the Israeli flag as they climb the entrance road to Jerusalem on July 22. Matan Golan/Sipa USA/AP

The changes proposed by the government amount to most extreme shakeup for Israel’s judiciary since its founding in 1948.

Israel, which has no written constitution but only a set of quasi-constitutional basic laws, has had a relatively powerful Supreme Court, which supporters of the changes argue is problematic.

But the Supreme Court is the only check on the power of the Knesset and the government, since the executive and legislative branches are always controlled by the same governing coalition.

The prime minister and his supporters argue that the Supreme Court has become an insular, elitist group that does not represent the Israeli people. They say it has overstepped its role, getting into issues it should not rule on.

Defending his plans, the prime minister has pointed to countries like the United States, where politicians control which federal judges are appointed and approved.

But critics say the overhaul will destroy the only avenue available to provide checks and balances in the governing of the country. They also warn it will hurt rights not enshrined in Israel’s basic laws, like minority rights and freedom of expression.

Netanyahu rules over the most right-wing government in Israel’s history, including both ultra-nationalist and ultra-religious parties. Some members of the government have come under fire for expressing extremist views.

According to polling released in February by the Israel Democracy Institute, only a minority of Israelis support the changes. The vast majority – 72% – want a compromise to be reached and, even then, 66% think the Supreme Court should have the power to strike down laws and 63% of Israelis think the current method of appointing judges should stay as it is.

Millions of Israelis oppose the bill, including dozens of business leaders. Even Netanyahu’s own defense minister, Yoav Gallant, has called several times for delaying the overhaul in order to seek broad consensus. Netanyahu said he was dismissing Gallant earlier this year for criticizing the overhaul, but never went through with the firing.

A group of 150 leading Israeli companies went on strike Monday to protest Monday’s bill.

Opposition to the overhaul has also reached Israel’s security establishment with members of the military protesting the bill and more than 1,000 Air Force reservists vowing to stop volunteering if Monday’s bill passes.

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July 24, 2023
More than two dozen Israeli mayors declare hunger strike over judicial overhaul

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Palestinians protest Israel’s politics after performing first Friday prayer of Ramadan at Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem on March 24. (Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

At its core, Israel’s planned judicial overhaul would give the country’s parliament, the Knesset, and therefore the parties in power, more control over the judiciary.

From how judges are selected, to what laws the Supreme Court can rule on, to even giving parliament power to overturn Supreme Court decisions, the changes would be the most significant shakeups to Israel’s judiciary since its founding in 1948.

What it means for Palestinians: Weakening the judicial branch could limit both Israelis and Palestinians in seeking the court’s defense of their rights if they believe they are compromised by the government.

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank could be affected, and of course, Palestinian citizens of Israel or those who hold residency cards would be directly affected. Israel’s Supreme Court has no influence on what happens in Gaza, which is ruled by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Critics of the changes worry that if the politicians have more control, the rights of minorities in Israel, especially Palestinians living in Israel, would be impacted.

Last year, for example, the court halted the evictions of Palestinian families in the flashpoint neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem, where Jewish groups have claimed ownership of land the families have lived on for decades.

At the same time, Palestinian activists have argued that the high court has further entrenched Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, having never considered the legality of Israeli settlements there, even though they’re considered illegal by most of the international community.

The high court has also been the subject of complaints from Israel’s far right and settlers, who say it is biased against settlers; they have condemned the court’s involvement in approving the eviction of settlers from Gaza and the Northern West Bank in 2005.

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March 27, 2023
BREAKING: Israel’s biggest union calls “historic” strike to stop “judicial revolution”

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Palestinians protest Israel’s politics after performing first Friday prayer of Ramadan at Masjid al-Aqsa in Jerusalem on March 24. (Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

At its core, Israel’s planned judicial overhaul would give the country’s parliament, the Knesset, and therefore the parties in power, more control over the judiciary.

From how judges are selected, to what laws the Supreme Court can rule on, to even giving parliament power to overturn Supreme Court decisions, the changes would be the most significant shakeups to Israel’s judiciary since its founding in 1948.

What it means for Palestinians: Weakening the judicial branch could limit both Israelis and Palestinians in seeking the court’s defense of their rights if they believe they are compromised by the government.

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank could be affected, and of course Palestinian citizens of Israel or those who hold residency cards would be directly affected. Israel’s Supreme Court has no influence on what happens in Gaza, which is ruled by the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Critics of the changes worry that if the politicians have more control, the rights of minorities in Israel, especially Palestinians living in Israel, would be impacted.

Last year, for example, the court halted the evictions of Palestinian families in the flashpoint neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem, where Jewish groups have claimed ownership of land the families have lived on for decades.

At the same time, Palestinian activists have argued that the high court has further entrenched Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, having never considered the legality of Israeli settlements there, even though they’re considered illegal by most of the international community.

The high court has also been the subject of complaints from Israel’s far right and settlers, who say it is biased against settlers; they have condemned the court’s involvement in approving the eviction of settlers from Gaza and the Northern West Bank in 2005.

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March 27, 2023
Live updates: Israel protests erupt in Tel Aviv as Netanyahu’s crisis deepens

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Bezalel Smotrich speaks at a news conference in Jerusalem on January 8. (Ronen Zvulun/Reuters)

This month, 145 American Jewish leaders publicly distanced themselves from a member of the Israeli government, saying Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was not welcome in the United States.

It was a rare public rebuke of a sitting Israeli minister that brought together individuals from across the Jewish-American political spectrum. Smotrich “has long expressed views that are abhorrent to the vast majority of American Jews, from anti-Arab racism, to virulent homophobia, to a full-throated embrace of Jewish supremacy,” they said in a statement.

The comments came after the minister called for a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank to be “erased” after two Israeli brothers were shot and killed there, prompting a rampage through the area by Israeli Jewish settlers.

The episode is a symptom of the widening gap of values between many American Jews and Israel as the Jewish state shifts to the right. In December, Israel swore in the most right-wing government in its history, bringing in extremists known for controversial views. The cabinet has also pushed forward a plan to weaken the judiciary that has brought hundreds of thousands of Israeli protesters to the streets as well as criticism from Israel’s closest allies.

The government of Benjamin Netanyahu has become the target of near-regular criticism by the Biden administration. In its latest move, the US State Department last week summoned Israeli Ambassador Michael Herzog after Israel’s parliament passed legislation that allows Jewish settlements to be rebuilt in parts of the occupied West Bank. It was the first summoning of an Israeli ambassador in the US in over a decade.

“The reality… is that the interests of American Jews and Israel have been diverging for many years, but it’s been papered over,” Thomas Friedman wrote in the New York Times this month. He called on the community to shun Netanyahu, citing the prime minister’s deployment of the “Trumpist playbook” by courting ultranationalist and ultrareligious parties.

Read more here.

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March 26, 2023
Beloved Mexican rescue dog dies in Turkey

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Members of a rescue team work on the site of a collapsed building, as the search for survivors continues in Hatay, Turkey on February 11. (Kemal Aslan/Reuters)

One week after the devastating earthquake hit Turkey, teams are still rushing to save victims that could be alive under the rubble — even as aid agencies and authorities warned the chances of finding survivors are becoming increasingly unlikely.

After 167 hours, a man was rescued from the debris in Antakya, in southern Turkey’s Hatay province, video from CNN affiliate CNN Turk shows. The man is seen being hoisted up by rescue workers, who he then embraces and grasps hands with.

Earlier Sunday, a 55-year-old woman was pulled from the rubble after 159 hours buried, while an 85-year-old woman was rescued after 152 hours trapped in what her nephew described as a cavity around 30-40 centimeters (11-16 inches) wide, according to CNN Turk.

Two people — a 25-year-old Syrian man and a child — were also rescued in Hatay some 151 and 152 hours after the quake hit, local officials said Sunday.

The man was rescued after response teams detected noises beneath the debris while conducting a sound survey in the ruins of an apartment building in Antakya, according to officials.

The technology was also used by the teams to find the child, whose age was not disclosed.

At least 41 people were rescued from under the rubble in Turkey between the 141st and 163rd hours after the quake hit, state-run news agency Anadolu reported Monday.

Death toll: More than 34,000 people have been confirmed dead across Turkey and Syria, where relief efforts have been complicated by the long-running civil war. Rescue operations are over in rebel-held areas of northwest Syria, the White Helmets volunteer organization said Friday.

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February 13, 2023
Live updates: Over 34,000 dead from Turkey, Syria earthquake

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Members of a rescue team work on the site of a collapsed building, as the search for survivors continues in Hatay, Turkey on February 11. (Kemal Aslan/Reuters)

One week after the devastating earthquake hit Turkey, teams are still rushing to save victims that could be alive under the rubble — even as aid agencies and authorities warned the chances of finding survivors are becoming increasingly unlikely.

After 167 hours, a man was rescued from the debris in Antakya, in southern Turkey’s Hatay province, video from CNN affiliate CNN Turk shows. The man is seen being hoisted up by rescue workers, who he then embraces and grasps hands with.

Earlier Sunday, a 55-year-old woman was pulled from the rubble after 159 hours buried, while an 85-year-old woman was rescued after 152 hours trapped in what her nephew described as a cavity around 30-40 centimeters (11-16 inches) wide, according to CNN Turk.

Two people — a 25-year-old Syrian man and a child — were also rescued in Hatay some 151 and 152 hours after the quake hit, local officials said Sunday.

The man was rescued after response teams detected noises beneath the debris while conducting a sound survey in the ruins of an apartment building in Antakya, according to officials.

The technology was also used by the teams to find the child, whose age was not disclosed.

At least 41 people were rescued from under the rubble in Turkey between the 141st and 163rd hours after the quake hit, state-run news agency Anadolu reported Monday.

Death toll: More than 34,000 people have been confirmed dead across Turkey and Syria, where relief efforts have been complicated by the long-running civil war. Rescue operations are over in rebel-held areas of northwest Syria, the White Helmets volunteer organization said Friday.

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February 12, 2023
Israeli aid group leaves Turkey due to ‘immediate’ security threat

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Israeli search-and-rescue group United Hatzalah is leaving Turkey after six days on the ground due to a “significant security threat” targeting the group, it announced Sunday.

United Hatzalah chief executive Eli Pollack and vice president of operations Dov Maisel said in a statement they had “received intelligence of a concrete and immediate threat on the Israeli delegation and we have to put the security of our personnel first.”

“We knew that there was a certain level of risk in sending our team to this area of Turkey, which is close to the Syrian border but we took the necessary steps in order to mitigate the threat for the sake of our lifesaving mission,” Maisel said.

The decision came following a “a joint situational assessment with the heads of the [Israel Defense Forces] Home Front Command and Search and Rescue Units which took place on Saturday night,” they said.

Due to the speed of the group’s departure and “lack of available planes,” Miriam Adelson – the widow of the late American Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson – donated her private jet to fly the team back to Israel on Sunday.

“We are extremely proud of what our team has accomplished in just a few days, assisting in the rescue of 15 individuals in cooperation with the IDF Home Front Command, Israel’s Search and Rescue units, local rescue forces, and the Turkish Red Cross,” Maisel said. “I want to thank Dr. Adelson for assisting us in bringing our people back quickly and safely.”

A second Israeli aid group, IsraAid, continues to operate in Turkey.

CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces team in Turkey to see whether it is also departing.

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February 12, 2023
Anonymous man in US walked into Turkish embassy and donated $30 million to quake victims, Pakistani PM says

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Recovery in Turkey after the devastating earthquake has now entered the “humanitarian phase,” according to Jamie LeSueur, the head of emergency operations at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

As his team moves on from search-and-rescue operations, the greatest needs for those affected in Turkey continue to be food, health and water, LeSueur told CNN from Gaziantep.

“We’ve now entered into the humanitarian phase. That is going to last for a couple of months, where we’ll still try to meet people’s basic needs,” LeSueur said.

The organization is receiving many winterized tents right now due to cold weather, but it is looking into pre-fabricated transitional shelter options, he said. Most of the population is too afraid to go inside, even if their homes have not been completely destroyed.

“We want to get them out of the humanitarian phase as quickly as possible, into something sustainable and transitional that’s going to keep them safe for a long time,” the crisis responder said.

LeSueur added that his team is preparing for any eventuality, including the spread of diseases, and they are coordinating with the Turkish Red Crescent about sanitation needs.

The Red Cross is well-positioned to deal with needs in southern Turkey, he said, but also in hard-hit areas of northwestern Syria, where aid has been more complicated due to years of civil war.

“In Turkey, we’ve established an operation that goes to the border with Syria, and in Syria, we’re using the Syrian Arab Red Crescent that going up to the Turkish border; we’re trying to cover the entire operational area with two national societies,” he said.

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February 12, 2023
Over 28,000 dead from quake in Turkey and Syria

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Recovery in Turkey after the devastating earthquake has now entered the “humanitarian phase,” according to Jamie LeSueur, the head of emergency operations at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

As his team moves on from search-and-rescue operations, the greatest needs for those affected in Turkey continue to be food, health and water, LeSueur told CNN from Gaziantep.

“We’ve now entered into the humanitarian phase. That is going to last for a couple of months, where we’ll still try to meet people’s basic needs,” LeSueur said.

The organization is receiving many winterized tents right now due to cold weather, but it is looking into pre-fabricated transitional shelter options, he said. Most of the population is too afraid to go inside, even if their homes have not been completely destroyed.

“We want to get them out of the humanitarian phase as quickly as possible, into something sustainable and transitional that’s going to keep them safe for a long time,” the crisis responder said.

LeSueur added that his team is preparing for any eventuality, including the spread of diseases, and they are coordinating with the Turkish Red Crescent about sanitation needs.

The Red Cross is well-positioned to deal with needs in southern Turkey, he said, but also in hard-hit areas of northwestern Syria, where aid has been more complicated due to years of civil war.

“In Turkey, we’ve established an operation that goes to the border with Syria, and in Syria, we’re using the Syrian Arab Red Crescent that going up to the Turkish border; we’re trying to cover the entire operational area with two national societies,” he said.

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February 11, 2023
Live updates: Over 25,000 dead from quake in Turkey and Syria

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Medical supplies from China’s Red Cross arrive in Damascus, Syria, on February 10. (VCG/Getty Images)

Recovery in Turkey after the devastating earthquake has now entered the “humanitarian phase,” according to Jamie LeSueur, the head of emergency operations at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

As his team moves on from search-and-rescue operations, the greatest needs for those affected in Turkey continue to be food, health and water, LeSueur told CNN from Gaziantep.

“We’ve now entered into the humanitarian phase. That is going to last for a couple of months, where we’ll still try to meet people’s basic needs,” LeSueur said.

The organization is receiving many winterized tents right now due to cold weather, but it is looking into pre-fabricated transitional shelter options, he said. Most of the population is too afraid to go inside, even if their homes have not been completely destroyed.

“We want to get them out of the humanitarian phase as quickly as possible, into something sustainable and transitional that’s going to keep them safe for a long time,” the crisis responder said.

LeSueur added that his team is preparing for any eventuality, including the spread of diseases, and they are coordinating with the Turkish Red Crescent about sanitation needs.

The Red Cross is well-positioned to deal with needs in southern Turkey, he said, but also in hard-hit areas of northwestern Syria, where aid has been more complicated due to years of civil war.

“In Turkey, we’ve established an operation that goes to the border with Syria, and in Syria, we’re using the Syrian Arab Red Crescent that going up to the Turkish border; we’re trying to cover the entire operational area with two national societies,” he said.

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February 11, 2023
Families of 263 children pulled from the rubble in Turkey cannot be reached

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Photos from across southern Turkey and northern Syria show scenes of devastation and suffering as hopes fade of finding survivors more than four days after Monday’s massive earthquake struck the region.

Personnel conduct search and rescue operations in Islahiye district of Gaziantep, Turkey, after 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes hit Kahramanmaras, on February 10, 2023. (Cebrail Caymaz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

More than 21,000 people have died in both countries and rescue workers are now racing against time to pull survivors from the rubble of collapsed buildings in freezing winter conditions.

At least 78,124 people were injured across Turkey and Syria, according to authorities.

People rescued by rsecue group ISAR Germany, wait by a fire during the rescue operation in Kirikhan, Turkey on February 10. (Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters)

A UN aid convoy crossed from Turkey into northwestern Syria on Thursday for the first time since the earthquake hit. The six trucks carrying shelter items and Non-Food Items (NFI) drove through the Bab Al Hawa border crossing, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

People walk through the destroyed center of Antakya, Turkey on February 9. (Anne Pollmann/picture-alliance/dpa/AP)

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he is open to the idea of delivering aid via additional border crossings, other than the Bab al-Hawa, which is the only humanitarian aid corridor approved by the UN between Turkey and rebel-held areas of northern Syria.

Personnel and civilians conduct search and rescue operations in Afrin district of Aleppo, Syria on February 9. (Bekir Kasim/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

In Syria, the earthquake’s devastation heaps misery on top of an existing humanitarian crisis resulting from a more than decade-long civil war. Millions living in northwest Syria, much of which is controlled by anti-government rebels, were already suffering from the effects of extreme poverty and a cholera outbreak when the quake hit.

Now many are fending for themselves, as many Western nations have refused to send aid directly to the Syrian regime, which is under US and EU sanctions.

A woman sits near the rubble of destroyed buildings in the city of Atarib, in the western countryside of Aleppo. (Independent Doctors Association)

The Syria Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets, has warned that the hope of finding survivors is fading inside the country.

Mousa Zidane, a volunteer with the group told CNN on Thursday that in the aftermath of the quakes, “tens of thousands of families are currently homeless all over northwest Syria.”

The cold weather is adding to the catastrophe, he said, as rescue teams struggle to extract people from under the rubble.

Volunteers, independent non-profits and rescue organizations are working to rescue civilians from the rubble of destroyed buildings in the city of Atarib, in the western countryside of Aleppo. (Independent Doctors Association)

In the rebel-held Idlib governorate, a man told AFPTV on Thursday he had been digging through rubble with his hands as he searched for 30 relatives in the village of Besnaya.

Malik Ibrahim, 40, said he had retrieved 10 bodies, after searching for two days without sleep.

“It’s ineffable, words fail me, it’s tragic,” he said. “The whole family is gone, and all our memories are buried with them.”

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February 10, 2023
Live updates: More than 21,000 dead from quake in Turkey and Syria

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Photos from across southern Turkey and northern Syria show scenes of devastation and suffering as hopes fade of finding survivors more than four days after Monday’s massive earthquake struck the region.

Personnel conduct search and rescue operations in Islahiye district of Gaziantep, Turkey, after 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes hit Kahramanmaras, on February 10, 2023. (Cebrail Caymaz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

More than 21,000 people have died in both countries and rescue workers are now racing against time to pull survivors from the rubble of collapsed buildings in freezing winter conditions.

At least 78,124 people were injured across Turkey and Syria, according to authorities.

People rescued by rsecue group ISAR Germany, wait by a fire during the rescue operation in Kirikhan, Turkey on February 10. (Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters)

A UN aid convoy crossed from Turkey into northwestern Syria on Thursday for the first time since the earthquake hit. The six trucks carrying shelter items and Non-Food Items (NFI) drove through the Bab Al Hawa border crossing, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

People walk through the destroyed center of Antakya, Turkey on February 9. (Anne Pollmann/picture-alliance/dpa/AP)

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he is open to the idea of delivering aid via additional border crossings, other than the Bab al-Hawa, which is the only humanitarian aid corridor approved by the UN between Turkey and rebel-held areas of northern Syria.

Personnel and civilians conduct search and rescue operations in Afrin district of Aleppo, Syria on February 9. (Bekir Kasim/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

In Syria, the earthquake’s devastation heaps misery on top of an existing humanitarian crisis resulting from a more than decade-long civil war. Millions living in northwest Syria, much of which is controlled by anti-government rebels, were already suffering from the effects of extreme poverty and a cholera outbreak when the quake hit.

Now many are fending for themselves, as many Western nations have refused to send aid directly to the Syrian regime, which is under US and EU sanctions.

A woman sits near the rubble of destroyed buildings in the city of Atarib, in the western countryside of Aleppo. (Independent Doctors Association)

The Syria Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets, has warned that the hope of finding survivors is fading inside the country.

Mousa Zidane, a volunteer with the group told CNN on Thursday that in the aftermath of the quakes, “tens of thousands of families are currently homeless all over northwest Syria.”

The cold weather is adding to the catastrophe, he said, as rescue teams struggle to extract people from under the rubble.

Volunteers, independent non-profits and rescue organizations are working to rescue civilians from the rubble of destroyed buildings in the city of Atarib, in the western countryside of Aleppo. (Independent Doctors Association)

In the rebel-held Idlib governorate, a man told AFPTV on Thursday he had been digging through rubble with his hands as he searched for 30 relatives in the village of Besnaya.

Malik Ibrahim, 40, said he had retrieved 10 bodies, after searching for two days without sleep.

“It’s ineffable, words fail me, it’s tragic,” he said. “The whole family is gone, and all our memories are buried with them.”

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February 10, 2023
Live updates: The latest on the deadly Turkey-Syria earthquake

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Displaced Syrians take shelter on the outskirts of the rebel-held town of Jindayris on February 8. (Bakr Alkasem/AFP/Getty Images)

Some 70 countries and 14 international organizations have offered Turkey relief following the earthquake, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Tuesday, including the United States, United Kingdom, the UAE, Israel and Russia.

The international aid situation in Syria is less clear.

Syria is ruled by a myriad of disparate groups. Some of the areas of Syria most impacted by the quake are controlled by President Bashar al-Assad’s government, others by Turkish-backed and US-backed opposition forces, Kurdish rebels and Sunni Islamist fighters.

Idlib, one of Syria’s last opposition strongholds, is controlled by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an armed Sunni Islamist group.

The Assad government, internationally sidelined and heavily sanctioned due to its brutal suppression of an uprising that started in 2011, counts Iran and Russia as its closest allies — both global pariahs.

The regime insists all aid to the country, including aid meant for areas outside its control, be directed to the capital Damascus.

That hasn’t been received well by activists and observers who fear the regime could hamper timely aid to thousands of quake victims in rebel-held areas, most of whom are women and children, according to the UN.

So far, the UAE, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Egypt, Algeria and India have sent relief directly to regime-controlled airports. Others such as Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, China, Canada and the Vatican have pledged aid, though it is unclear if that relief will be sent directly to the regime.

On Wednesday, Damascus said it has set up more than a hundred shelters equipped with aid supplies for those affected by the quake across government-controlled areas, including in the cities of Aleppo, Hama, Homs, Tartus and Latakia, a coastal city which has the highest number of earthquake deaths counted in Syria so far, and more than 100 collapsed buildings.

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February 9, 2023
Live updates: Turkey-Syria earthquake kills thousands

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A man who evacuated his home warms up next to a fire on a street in the aftermath of the earthquake, in Aleppo, Syria, on February 8. (Firas Makdesi/Reuters)

Syria’s government has ramped up its calls for the removal of economic US and EU sanctions in the aftermath of Monday’s earthquake.

Relief groups working from government-controlled areas in Syria have pinned the lack of heavy machinery and medical equipment needed to remove rubble and treat the injured on the Western sanctions.

The measures were imposed on Syria to pressure the regime into a political process that could put an end to the ongoing civil conflict.

Some context: Most of the Syrian quake casualties have been reported in the northwest of the country, predominantly in the cities of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia and Tartus, according to the state news agency, SANA.

This region was already struggling to rebuild vital infrastructure heavily damaged by continual aerial bombardment during the country’s civil war, which the UN estimates to have claimed 300,000 lives since 2011.

Half of northwestern Syria’s 4.6 million population have been forced out of their homes by the conflict, with 1.7 million now living in tents and refugee camps in the region, according to the UN children’s agency, UNICEF.

Several parts of northwestern Syria, including Idlib, are still controlled by anti-government rebels.

On Wednesday, the Syrian government’s foreign minister, Faisal Mekdad, called on Europe to send aid, saying that sanctions should not be used “as an excuse.”

“Sending aid from Europe does not need to undergo a bureaucratic process. International law states that humanitarian aid is not be not subject to sanctions, so this is no excuse,” Mekdad told Lebanese outlet Al Mayadeen.

When asked whether the regime will allow aid into rebel-controlled territories, the Syrian government said that international aid will be distributed only by the Syrian government.

“The Syrian state is ready to allow aid to enter into all regions, provided that it does not reach terrorist armed groups,” Mekdad said.

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that: “in Syria, we have a partner in the form of NGOs on the ground who are providing humanitarian support.”

“These partners, who unlike the Syrian regime, are there to help the people rather than brutalize them,” Price added.

CNN’s Rhea Mogul, Isil Sariyuce, Gul Tuysuz and Jack Guy contributed reporting.

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February 8, 2023
Live updates: Turkey-Syria earthquake leaves thousands dead

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A view of debris in Malatya, Turkey, on February 6. (Hakan Akgun/dia images/Getty Images)

At least 4,940 deaths have now been confirmed in Turkey and Syria after a powerful magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocked the region early on Monday.

Turkey’s death toll rose to at least 3,381 as of around 9:45 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Orhan Tatar, an official with the country’s disaster management agency, said in a televised briefing.

At least 20,426 injuries have also been reported, according to Tatar.

So far, 11,000 buildings have been reported damaged in Turkey, he said. Nearly 25,000 emergency responders are working at scenes impacted, he added.

Rescuers are using at least 10 ships and 54 aircraft to transport the wounded and help with search operations, he said.

In Syria, the death toll has risen to 1,559 across areas controlled by the government and by the opposition, officials said.

At least 3,648 people have also been reported injured in Syria, according to officials.

This post has been updated with the latest figures.

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February 7, 2023
Live updates: Turkey-Syria earthquake kills more than 300

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Rescue workers search the rubble of a collapsed building in Azaz, Syria, on February 6. (Bakr Alkasem/AFP/Getty Images)

At least 118 people were killed in two countries after one of the strongest earthquakes to hit Turkey in more than 100 years sent tremors across the region, collapsing buildings and sending residents running into the streets.

At least 76 people died and more than 440 were injured in Turkey, according to the country’s disaster management agency. In neighboring Syria, at least 42 people died and around 200 more were injured, Syrian state run-news agency SANA reported, citing a Health Ministry official.

In Syria, the deaths were reported in Aleppo, Hama and Latakia, SANA said.

The “White Helmets” group, officially known as the Syria Civil Defense, also said there were dozens of victims and hundreds trapped under the rubble in the opposition-controlled Idlib region.

The quake struck while residents were likely asleep and unprepared for the impact. Video shared on social media shows dozens of collapsed buildings, while frightened residents huddled on the darkened streets amid the chaos.

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February 5, 2023