Syrian government requests European humanitarian assistance two days after devastating earthquake

The Syrian government has requested European humanitarian assistance to help its search and rescue efforts two days after a devastating earthquake, the European Commission confirmed on Wednesday.

“Earlier today, this morning, we have also received a request from the government of Syria to the EU for assistance through the Civil Protection Mechanism. We shared this request with EU member states and we are encouraging them to contribute the in-kind assistance as requested,” Commissioner for crisis management Janez Lenarčič told reporters.

The request from the Syrian government “contains a long list of items”, he added such as medical items including medicines, food products and “typical aid emergency items”.

This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.