The flights that landed in Damascus were not the first European response to the disaster, but the first to form part of the EU’s humanitarian air bridge. More flights like this will follow. From the EU camps in Dubai and Brindisi in Italy, they will provide aid to populations in areas controlled by the government, as well as in areas not controlled by the government. 420 tons of relief supplies will be delivered along the air bridge: 225 tons, worth €1.1 million, come from European humanitarian stocks.
Since the earthquake, more than 200 humanitarian aid flights have landed in Syrian government-held areas, nearly half of them from the United Arab Emirates. In addition, 15 EU member states have provided aid in the form of tents, beds, blankets, heaters, hygiene kits, food and medicine to Syria since the activation of the EU civil protection mechanism. Belgium is not part of that mechanism, but it has released 4 million euros in humanitarian aid and one million for the International Red Cross in Turkey and Syria. Belgium also sent medical teams.
