Senior representatives from nine countries,as well as Palestinian representatives,are visiting Damascus looking to end the decade-long isolation of Bashar al-Assad.
The recovery process covers many areas that are predominantly Kurdish,the largest ethnic minority in Turkey.
Much of the grass roots efforts in the US are being driven by Turkish and Syrian communities who still maintain close ties to their homeland.
Syrians once again heard the roar and thud of buildings coming down,in scenes all too familiar to a region devastated by more than a decade of civil war.
The powerful 7.8 magnitude quake wreaked new damage and suffering in Syria’s last rebel-held enclave,already destroyed by years of fighting and bombardment.
The report offers the latest confirmation that the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad used chemical weapons during his country’s grinding civil war.
The Academy Award-winning megastar has worked for the UN more than two decades,serving as special envoy for refugees since 2012.
“They don’t have iconic,charismatic leaders any more,” Hassan Hassan,author of a book on the terrorist group,said after it was revealed a second top leader has been killed.
Turkey has already launched a barrage of airstrikes on suspected militant targets in northern Syria and Iraq in recent days.
The arrival of an initial group of women and children remains contentious,with MP Dai Le accusing the government of operating under a “cloak of secrecy”.
Dominic Perrottet distanced himself from the federal government’s decision to repatriate IS women and children,while Daniel Andrews said the people were most likely low risk.