Humanitarian aid to rebel-held areas usually reaches Turkey via a cross-border mechanism created in 2014 by a United Nations Security Council resolution.
But it is opposed by Damascus and its ally Moscow, who see it as a violation of Syrian sovereignty.
Under pressure from Russia and China, the number of crossing points has been reduced from four to one over time.
And now areas around that one border crossing have suffered significant infrastructure damage, while aid workers on the ground have been hit by the devastation.
‘Life is at stake’
“Every effort is being made to address these logistical hurdles that have been created by the earthquake,” Larke said.
Larke said “there’s a window of about seven days” when survivors are typically found, adding that it was “critical” to get teams to those in immediate need as quickly as possible.
“It is imperative that everyone sees this as a humanitarian crisis where lives are at stake,” he said.
“Please don’t politicize this. Let’s help those who need it most.”