In from the cold
The devastating earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey on 6 February 2023, causing more than 60.000 deaths and 129.000 injured, helped tear down the walls dividing out-of-date geopolitical blocs. Disaster relief revealed new realities emerging from the rubbles, with Gulf countries taking the lead in reaching areas affected by the 7,8-magnitude earthquake. Just after one week after the seismic event, the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan visited Damascus, meeting with President Bashar al-Assad. Internationally ostracized for his ruthless crackdown on opposition parties that plunged the country in a 12-year long brutal civil war with huge ramifications in the whole region, the Syrian leader sensed an important diplomatic opportunity. After meeting with the Emirati Foreign Minister, he agreed to expand access of humanitarian aid coming from the international community to areas still under the control of rebels that have been mostly affected by the earthquake…
