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Earthquakes expose political and humanitarian challenges in Turkey and Syria
In a recent episode of GZERO World, the International Rescue Committee's President and CEO, David Miliband, sheds light on the immense challenges of delivering aid in the aftermath of the deadly earthquakes that rocked Turkey and Syria. With the northwest of Syria controlled by armed opposition groups, aid delivery remains a hurdle that needs to be overcome urgently.
Miliband highlights the compounded crises in Syria, with inadequate medical care, cholera outbreaks, freezing temperatures, and ongoing border skirmishes threatening the survival of the population. He notes, "Hope is hard to find if you live there."
The political repercussions of the earthquakes are already being felt in Turkey, with citizens demanding accountability for lax building standards and corrupt permit systems. Miliband draws parallels to the 1999 earthquake, which saw accusations of corruption and the ousting of the prime minister. He predicts that the government's response to the disaster will be a hot-button issue in the upcoming election.
But it's not just about politics. The migrant crisis is an urgent humanitarian issue, with Miliband emphasizing the need for fair and humane treatment of those who have been driven from their homes. As he puts it, "We need to fulfill legal as well as moral obligations."
Note: This interview appeared in a GZERO World episode on March 6, 2023: Challenge of survival/Problem of governance: Aid for Turkey & Syria
Northwest Syria's aid dilemma: the aftermath of devastating earthquakes
The two devastating earthquakes that hit Turkey near the Syrian border on February 6 have exacerbated the already-difficult challenge of getting humanitarian aid into a region plagued by conflict and political instability. In an interview with Ian Bremmer on GZERO World, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, David Miliband, explains how aid delivery remains a challenge in northwest Syria, which is controlled by armed opposition group.
Although two new cross-border points opened after the earthquake, the IRC hasn't seen an increase in aid flows.“It's still very tough to get aid across the border," says Miliband. Humanitarian assistance for northwest Syria needs to travel across the border with Turkey because aid sent directly to Damascus stays with President Bashar al-Assad's government. Miliband notes that the situation was already dire in the region before the earthquakes, and the disaster has only compounded the crisis in Syria, with a lack of adequate medical care, cholera outbreaks, and freezing temperatures posing major risks to the population.
The overall politics of the region, which is still recovering from the decade-long Syrian Civil War, also remain dire. Northwest Syria was a conflict zone as recently as January, and 150 civilians were killed last year in border skirmishes.
“If you live there, it's very hard for people to keep any hope at all,” says Miliband.
Watch the GZERO World episode: Challenge of survival/Problem of governance: Aid for Turkey & Syria
How Turkey's earthquake may shape the future of its democracy
The earthquake in Turkey has sparked a fiery debate about corruption and poor governance in the country. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer talks to David Miliband, the President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, about the political implications of this disaster.
In the weeks following the earthquake, there's been a lot of public critisim of Turkey's building standards and accusations of corruption in the country's construction permit system. Miliband acknowledges that he is not an expert in structural engineering, but points out that the Turkish government's poor handling of the aftermath of a devastating 1999 earthquake led to the ouster of the prime minister.
Miliband describes the situation as an "absolute meltdown of the urban environment,” causing “a lot of anger” and grief. He predicts that the earthquake response will impact Turkey's upcoming election, but with 10 million lives upended in the quake, it's difficult to predict how they will “vote and participate.”
Miliband believes the response will focus on "survival, recovery, and blame," and "that's going to play out in technicolor in Turkey."
Watch the GZERO World episode: Challenge of survival/Problem of governance: Aid for Turkey & Syria
Challenge of survival/Problem of governance: Aid for Turkey & Syria
The recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria have highlighted the challenges of providing aid in a region plagued by conflict and political instability. In conversation with Ian Bremmer on GZERO World, the International Rescue Committee's President and CEO, David Miliband, explains that aid delivery remains a challenge, particularly in the northwest of Syria controlled by armed opposition groups.
The earthquake has compounded the ongoing crises in Syria, as lack of adequate medical care, cholera outbreaks, freezing temperatures, and continued border skirmishes pose major risks to the population. Miliband notes, “If you live there, it's very hard for people to keep any hope at all.”
The critical task now is to scale up the delivery of aid to those still desperately in need in Turkey and Syria.
The disaster is quickly becoming a political issue in Turkey, as people accuse the government of lax building standards and corrupt permit systems. Although Miliband is no expert in structural engineering, he brings up Turkey's recovery after a devasting earthquake in 1999, which was plagued with accusations of corruption and led to the outster of the prime minister. Miliband predicts that the earthquake response will influence Turkey's upcoming election, adding to the political heat.
The migrant crisis is also a complex and pressing issue, with Miliband emphasizing the need to “balance fairness with humanity and fulfill legal as well as moral obligations for people who have been driven from their homes.”
Migrants walk along a railway line after they have crossed the border from Serbia into Hungary.
Podcast: Survival is success: IRC’s David Miliband responds to “double crisis” in Turkey & Syria
Listen: As the world watches the aftermath of the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, we are confronted with a sobering reality: delivering aid in a region rife with conflict and political instability is an immense challenge. On the GZERO World podcast, Ian Bremmer and David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, discuss the dire situation in Turkey and Syria —especially in the northwest of Syria, where delivering aid remains an uphill battle.
As if the pre-existing crisis wasn't enough, the earthquakes have worsened the situation, leaving people without medical care as the region deals with a deadly cholera outbreak and freezing winter temperatures. Meanwhile, in Turkey, the earthquake has sparked a debate about corruption and poor governance, with the response likely to become a major issue in the upcoming election. Right now, the most urgent need is ensuring aid and humanitarian assistance continue to reach the people who desperately need it.
Adding to the urgency is the ongoing refugee crisis in the Turkey and throughout Europe. Miliband gives his prescription for the four elements of fair migration and stresses the urgency of "balancing fairness and humanity by fulfilling legal and moral obligations" towards those who have been displaced from their homes.
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Northern Ireland deal: an improvement, but "Brexit is never over" for UK, says David Miliband
How will the impact of Brexit continue to shape the future of the UK and its relationship with the EU? On GZERO World, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee David Miliband expresses his views on Brexit and the Northern Ireland deal agreed upon by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Miliband, who served as the UK's Foreign Secretary from 2007 to 2010, supports the new deal and views it as “more honest than previous ones,” but notes that Brexit is "a journey, not a destination. And it’s forever in its impact.”
He specifically points out the challenges faced by Northern Ireland and how Brexit has disrupted the Good Friday agreement, making it difficult for those living in North Ireland “to choose whether to be British or Irish, or both, as the agreement allowed.”
Miliband believes that while progress has been made, “there are still many aspects of national life where Brexit isn’t working,” and these need to be addressed.
Watch the GZERO World episode: Challenge of survival/Problem of governance: Aid for Turkey & Syria
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