Urgent Aid Needed for Turkey-Syria Earthquake Survivors
The World Health Organization has stated that the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria has “overwhelmed everyone,” with warnings that aid must be expedited immediately to save lives.
The number of fatalities in both nations continues to rise and now stands at over 33,000.
Dr. Michael Ryan, the executive director of the World Health Organization, deemed it “misleading” to compare the impact in both countries, given the importance of “earthquake magnitude” and “population density.”
Dr. Ryan stated, “There is no doubt on the side of Turkey that there is a lack of experience in terms of search and rescue and disaster response.”
ALSO READ: 28,000 Dead in Turkey-Syria Earthquake as Rescue Efforts Fade
“They have experienced their fair share of disasters in the past, but it is evident that this disaster has overwhelmed everyone.”
The worst-affected region is largely controlled by an Islamist group that is wary of shipments from government-held areas.
Additionally, there is only one open border crossing between Turkey and northwest Syria, and the first UN convoy only arrived in the region on Thursday.
In Syria, the WHO panel stated that the country was not only battling the aftermath but also freezing temperatures and the end of a cholera outbreak.
Regional emergency director Dr. Rick Brennan stated that approximately 350,000 people in Aleppo and Latakia were rendered immediately homeless and that providing care was a “huge undertaking.”
According to him, many are being housed in mosques, schools, churches, and community centers, but overcrowding is a problem.
“These conditions are unacceptable, so we are working with our partners to explore alternative options,” he said.
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In addition, there is an increased risk of contracting a disease due to the large population and poor sanitation.
Syrians have been “abandoned”
Martin Griffiths, the UN’s emergency relief coordinator, is en route to Syria to urgently improve the flow of aid.
“We have failed the people of northwest Syria thus far. They have reason to feel abandoned. Seeking international assistance that has not yet arrived, “He sent a tweet on Sunday.
He told Sky’s Kay Burley that additional border crossings between Turkey and Syria must be opened immediately “to save lives,” calling it a “no-brainer” from a humanitarian standpoint.
Andrew Mitchell, minister of development for the United Kingdom, admitted in an interview with Sky News that aid to Syria was “much more stretched” than in its neighbor.
He estimated that the combined death toll in both nations could reach approximately 50,000.
The Disasters Emergency Committee announced on Sunday that the amount raised by the British public surpassed £60 million in just three days.
ALSO READ: Quake Devastation in Turkey-Syria: 21,000 Dead, Cold Worsens Despair
The committee distributes the funds to a collection of leading UK aid organizations.
A week after Monday’s earthquake, the likelihood that more people will be dug out alive – like the boy who was rescued after five days – is practically nonexistent.
Now, the focus is on recovering the countless bodies buried beneath the debris of the numerous collapsed buildings.
According to Turkish vice president Fuat Oktay, approximately 131 people involved in the construction industry have been detained or issued arrest warrants.
As construction codes are rarely enforced in the country, it is believed that many of the buildings that collapsed were not robust enough.
The justice ministry has announced that it will establish a Bureau of Earthquake Crimes Investigation.
In some regions of Turkey, businesses and homes have also been reported looted, and the country’s justice minister reported on Sunday that 57 people had been arrested.
ALSO READ: British Nationals Missing in Turkey-Syria Earthquake
Some business owners have been spotted emptying their stores despite President Erdogan’s assertion that thieves will be dealt with severely.
As a result of “clashes between different groups” and “shots fired” in a Turkish town, two German aid organizations and Austrian rescuers were also compelled to halt operations temporarily on Saturday.
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