US says helping quake-hit northwest Syria but not Syria's Assad

1. The United States says it is working with partners to provide earthquake relief to Syria but will stand firm against working with the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Stephen Allen, who is leading the response on the ground for the US Agency for International Development (USAID), said most of the damage is in areas under rebel control and that USAID has local partners there. He said his agency is reorienting assistance that was already in place to help war-hit Syrians, and focusing on rescue efforts and other immediate needs including providing shelter and food.

“We’ve got the full gamut of humanitarian response going in northwest Syria right now,” Allen told reporters.

He declined to name the non-governmental groups working with the US, citing operational security.
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2. UK sending search and rescue specialists only to Turkey

Earlier today, development minister Andrew Mitchell told Sky News that although Britain's aid budget is "under very considerable strain," resources will still be found as some of the budget is "always" carved out to cope with humanitarian crises.

"That is what people in Britain expect us to do. Britain is always there first and in strength to help when these appalling catastrophes take place. And we will be there this time," Mitchell said.

The UK government has sent a team of 76 search and rescue specialists only to Turkey to help search for survivors.
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3. VIDEO GLOBALink : Syrians slam U.S. sanctions following earthquake

"They (the Americans) must lift the sanctions. Shame on them," an earthquake survivor in Syria said angrily, denouncing U.S. sanctions which have made it extremely difficult for the Syrians to get much-needed international humanitarian aid
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4. The Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) urges the West to lift unilateral sanctions against Damascus to facilitate the process of eliminating the consequences of the earthquake, SARC President Khaled Hbubati.
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5. Russian servicemen are providing round-the-clock humanitarian assistance to people in the Syrian province of Aleppo affected by powerful earthquakes on Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.

"Servicemen of the Russian Reconciliation Center for Syria provide humanitarian aid to residents of the province of Aleppo affected by the quake," Russia’s top brass said in a statement. According to the ministry’s data, food and essentials, including bedding items, are given out at humanitarian aid distribution points.

"Russian troops will continue work to deliver humanitarian assistance to affected people," the top brass concluded.