Syria Reels From Earthquakes but Struggles to Tap Outside Aid

As the scale of the devastation emerged in Syria from powerful earthquakes, the country faces hurdles tapping international aid because of border closures, the political isolation of President Bashar al-Assad and his government’s policy of starving antigovernment rebels of assistance. 

“The scale of destruction is enormous, and there is still no support from the outside,” said Ammar Alselmo, a volunteer in rural Aleppo province with Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, which leads relief efforts in areas outside the government’s control.