More than a week after the devastating earthquakes hit the Turkish-Syrian border, there is little hope of finding any more survivors. “The rescue phase, in which people are pulled alive from the rubble and the dead are found under the rubble, is coming to an end,” UN emergency coordinator Martin Griffiths said on Monday during a visit to Aleppo, Syria.
The humanitarian phase now begins to provide those affected with shelter, “psychosocial” as well as food, education and “a sense of the future”. According to diplomats, President Bashar al-Assad wants to open two more border crossings into Turkey to improve humanitarian aid in the earthquake-hit areas of Syria, which are difficult to access.
Accordingly, Bab Al-Salam and Al Ra’ee should be passable for three months. Until now, the United Nations can only provide aid to areas that are not controlled by the government through a border crossing (Bab al-Hawa). Northwestern Syria is controlled by various rebel groups.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed Assad’s decision, saying: “Opening these border crossings – along with facilitating access for humanitarian aid, expediting visa approvals and facilitating travel between hubs – will allow more aid to arrive more quickly. arrive.”
The death toll continues to rise
The number of confirmed deaths exceeded 37,500 by Tuesday morning and more than 80,000 people were injured. Thousands are still missing. Rescuers rescued individual living victims on Monday. Survivors found now must have had access to fluid – such as rainwater, snow or other sources. Normally, a person can go without water for about 72 hours, so three days, after which it becomes life-threatening. This deadline has now passed.
In the early morning of February 6, the first quake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale shook the Turkish-Syrian border area, followed hours later by a second quake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale. Since then there have been more than 2,400 aftershocks. Ten provinces have been affected in Turkey – a three-month state of emergency is now in place. More than 100,000 volunteers went to the earthquake zone to help. Some of them have since returned to their homeland. Countless buildings and parts of the infrastructure were destroyed. A report by the Turkish business community and the business association Türkonfed estimates the damage from the earthquake at about $84 billion (about $79 billion).
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
