STORY: Three days after the devastating earthquakes in the Syrian-Turkish border area, the death toll has risen to almost 20,000. The authorities and the civil protection organization “White Helmets” run by the opposition in the rebel areas in the north-west of the country reported several thousand deaths in Syria. The situation there is still unclear. International aid is difficult to organize. After almost twelve years of civil war, numerous roads and houses in the country were already damaged or destroyed before the disaster. Both government-held and rebel-held areas have been hit by the quake. Residents living in government-controlled areas said over the phone that some areas received more aid than others. However, even here the hope of finding more survivors a good 80 hours after the first tremor is fading. Moments like this, when a boy was rescued alive from the rubble, are becoming increasingly unlikely. On the other hand, the burial of those who could only be found dead should accompany the bereaved for a long time to come. As a glimmer of hope for the survivors, a first aid convoy from the United Nations reached Syria across the border near Bab al-Hawa on Thursday. When it comes to help, the Syrian people need almost everything, says UN special envoy Geir Pedersen in Geneva. There must be no political obstacles to getting aid to where it is most needed.