The UN’s humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths has described the earthquake in Turkey as the worst natural disaster he’d ever seen in his decades of humanitarian work. While visiting the Turkish city of Kahramanmasa he told the BBC that the UN would work actively and firmly to open more crossings into north west Syria where so little aid has arrived.
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Today
South Africans fear spike in HIV infections as US aid cuts bite
The UN agency dealing with AIDS and HIV warns of millions of new cases, directly as a result of global funding cuts. We hear from the head of the agency -- and from one of the most exposed countries, South Africa. Also, Ukraine comes under another huge Russian drone and missile a ... Show More
47m 27s
Yesterday
Sheikh Hasina caught on tape authorising shooting of protesters
A BBC investigation has found that the former prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, authorised her security forces to use lethal force against protestors last summer. The evidence is a leaked tape verified by the BBC. An estimated 1,400 people were killed and 12,000 injure ... Show More
43m 6s
Feb 2023
The Deadly Earthquake in Turkey and Syria
On Monday, a giant 7.8-magnitude earthquake and an aftershock almost as big shook the earth in southern Turkey. The quakes sent ripples through neighboring countries, but the area along the Syrian-Turkish border was hit particularly hard.Thousands of people have been killed, and ... Show More
24m 6s
Feb 2023
A Crisis Within a Crisis in Syria
When a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Syria and Turkey last week, it killed thousands and created a crisis within a crisis.International aid began pouring into Turkey, but northwestern Syria, which was also hard-hit, received only a trickle. It was a bitter blow for Syrians, whose ... Show More
26m 28s
Feb 2023
'Where are you my love? We're looking for you': The aftermath of the Turkey-Syria earthquakes
Thousands of people have died after two devastating earthquakes caused widespread destruction in Turkey and Syria. As the World Health Organization warns casualties could exceed 20,000, aftershocks, freezing temperatures and damaged roads are hampering efforts to reach and rescue ... Show More
22m 13s
Oct 2019
The Story of a Kurdish General
Turkey has invaded Kurdish-controlled territory in Syria, upending a fragile peace in the region and inciting sectarian bloodshed. The Trump administration has ordered a full evacuation of the 1,000 American troops that remain in northeastern Syria, leaving Mazlum Kobani, the com ... Show More
24m 50s
Feb 2023
Natasha Hall: The Aftermath of Earthquakes in Syria
This week, in a special episode of Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Middle East Program senior fellow Natasha Hall about the aftermath of the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. They talk about the aid response, how governments are instrumentalizing the aid response to advance ... Show More
29m 13s