Thousands in Syria at risk of freezing to death after quake halts cross-border aid

Aid agencies are warning of a looming humanitarian catastrophe in northwest Syria after Monday's devastating earthquake halted the flow of critical UN aid from Turkey to rebel-held areas.

The earthquake, which has claimed the lives of at least 4,000 people in both countries, decimated buildings and apartment blocks in Idlib and northern Aleppo, forcing many internally displaced Syrians to seek refuge in open fields and under trees amid freezing weather conditions.

Representatives from three aid agencies told Middle East Eye that the damage caused to roads leading to and from the Bab al-Hawa crossing had severely disrupted crucial aid deliveries, compounding the crisis.

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Syria: Thousands at risk of freezing to death after quake halts cross-border aid