After more than 850 people died in Syria as a result of a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck nearby Turkey on Monday, the Syrian government pleaded with the international world to help.
Syria appeals to United Nations members, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and other humanitarian organisations to support efforts to deal with the tragic earthquake, according to a statement from the foreign ministry.
After meeting with UN officials and aid organisations, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad declared that the government was prepared "to provide all the necessary facilities to foreign organisations so they may give Syrians humanitarian help."
According to the health ministry, the earthquake in government-controlled areas of Syria, including the provinces of Aleppo, Hama, Latakia, and Tartus, resulted in at least 461 fatalities and 1,326 injuries.
According to the White Helmets rescue organisation, more than 1,000 people were hurt and at least 390 people died in rebel-held areas of the country's northwest.
Syria's economy and capacity to respond to major disasters have been decimated by more than a decade of fighting and years of economic sanctions.
In addition to several Gulf nations that have reestablished relations with Damascus, like the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, the primary allies of the Syrian regime Iran and Russia have signalled a willingness to give aid.
Beginning in 2011 with the ruthless suppression of peaceful protesters, the crisis in Syria grew to involve foreign powers and jihadists from around the world.
Around half of the country's pre-war population has been driven from their homes as a result of the conflict, and many have fled to Turkey, where there have been close to 500,000 fatalities.
The UN said in January that at least 2.9 million people in Syria are at risk of being hungry, and another 12 million do not know where their next meal would come from.
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