Tunisian President Kais Saied has announced
the strengthening of diplomatic relations with Syria, the most prominent signal
yet of Tunisia's intention to fully restore ties days after deadly earthquakes
that have wreaked havoc in large parts of Syria and neighbouring Turkey.
Monday's powerful 7.8-magnitude quake and
series of aftershocks have killed over 24,000 people in both countries and
displaced thousands of others. Scores of people were killed in their sleep,
while a number of survivors were forced to rush into the streets in their
pyjamas.
Amid a major shortage of food, water,
medical supplies, and shelter during freezing conditions, the World Health
Organisation (WHO) has raised concerns over a second humanitarian disaster
striking the two countries unless survivors get access to basic necessities
"very fast".
Tunisia cut off diplomatic ties with Syria
years back to protest the government's violent crackdown on demonstrators and
activists opposed to the regime of President Bashar Assad, who has been ruling
the war-torn nation since 17 July 2000.
In 2017, Tunisia reinstituted a limited
diplomatic mission to Syria, in part to help track over 3,000 Tunisian
militants fighting in Syria.
It has dispatched aid planes to the
quake-hit nation, including search and rescue personnel, which have arrived at
the Aleppo International Airport controlled by the Syrian regime.
According to analysts, the Syrian president
is seeking political advantage from the disaster, pressing for foreign aid to
be delivered through his territory as he aims to chip away at his international
isolation.
During his first visit to the disaster zone
on Friday, Assad met victims at Aleppo University Hospital as well as rescuers
in Masharqua. "Syrians don't talk, they take action," he mentioned,
pledging to "work non-stop" for the affected residents.