Syria quake aid held up by 'approval issues' with hardline group, says U.N.

View shows damaged and collapsed buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake, in rebel-held town of Jandaris, Syria February 11, 2023. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hassano

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Earthquake aid from government-held parts of Syria into opposition-controlled territory has been held up by "approval issues" with one hardline group, a United Nations spokesperson said on Sunday.

The hostilities that criss-cross Syria, shattered by nearly 12 years of conflict, are an added challenge for aid workers trying to reach the northern regions affected by Monday's earthquake, which killed at least 29,000 people in Turkey and Syria and flatted swathes of towns and cities.