Al-Qaeda-affiliated Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) continues to block humanitarian aid from government-held parts in Syria to its areas in the northwestern region of Greater Idlib more than a week after the devastating earthquake.

Greater Idlib was badly affected by the February 6 earthquake, which left more than 41,000 people dead in both countries. Around half of the 5,000 casualties reported in Syria were within the region.

After the earthquake, the Damascus government immediately announced its readiness to deliver aid to victims in Greater Idlib via the Saraqib crossing in the southern Idlib country. The United Arab Emirates joined in on the plan, offering to provide aid for the region in coordination with the Syrian Red Crescent.

After lengthy talks, the United Nations confirmed on February 12 that HTS is blocking aid to Greater Idlib. A spokesman of the U.N. told Reuters that “there are issues with approval” by the terrorist group. Meanwhile, a source in HTS told the news agency that the terrorist group would not allow any shipments from government-held parts of Syria and that aid would be only coming in from Turkey to the northwestern region.

Speaking to The Guardian on February 14, HTS leader Abu Mohamad al-Julani stressed that any aid to Greater Idlib should only come from Turkey. The terrorist also demanded $10 millions in cash for aid efforts.

Syrian pro-government activists said that HTS asked for money to allow aid into Greater Idlib from government-held parts. The terrorist group reportedly asked for as much as $10,000 for each aid truck.

Faced with a humanitarian disaster in Greater Idlib and HTS blackmail, Damascus struck a deal with the U.N. on February 13 to open two crossings between the region and Turkey for aid.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres announced that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has personally approved the opening of Bab al-Salama and al-Rai crossings in the northern Aleppo countryside for three months to facilitate aid.

On February 14, the first U.N. aid convoy entered northwestern Syria from the Bab al-Salama crossing. The convoy consisted of 11 tucks.

Despite Damascus efforts to facilitate aid to quake-hit opposition areas, the mainstream media continue to accuse the government of blocking or hindering aid. At the same time, the mainstream media completely ignores HTS’s attempts to pocket from the humanitarian disaster, its decision to put politics over aid, and its complete lack of care to civilians in its areas.

HTS’s poor response to the earthquake provides yet another reasons to why Greater Idlib should not remain under the hands of the terrorist group, who appear to only care about money and power.

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