Death toll from Turkey-Syria earthquakes passed 21,500
ANKARA, Feb 10 (SABAH): The death toll from the Turkey-Syria earthquakes has passed 21,500
At least 18,342 people have been killed in Turkey, according to the country’s officials, surpassing the toll from the devastating 1999 earthquake in that country. At least 3,377 people are known to have died in Syria. Operations continued on Friday, but hopes of finding people alive are fading away.
As per media reports, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said that 14 trucks carrying humanitarian aid had crossed into northern Syria from Turkey. “These convoys are carrying electric heaters, tents, blankets and other items to assist these people who have been displaced as a result of this catastrophic earthquake.”
Opposition held northwest Syria is home to nearly 2 million internally displaced refugees. Rescue workers continue to dig into the rubble for a fifth consecutive day to find more survivors of the devastating earthquakes that have killed tens of thousands of people and swept away entire cities in Turkey and Syria this week.
According to the World Food Programme (WFP), it is running out of stock in opposition-held northwest Syria and appealed for more corridors between Syria and Turkey to be opened. “We have reached the people there, but we need to replenish our stocks,” Corinne Fleischer, WFP Regional Director in the Middle East, Northern Africa and Eastern Europe told media persons. “We are running out of stocks and we need access to bring new stocks in. The border crossing is open now, but we need to get new border crossings open.”
The Turkish government has said it has authorised aid to go through two additional crossings, but UN officials have said Bab al-Hawa remained the only viable route.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has visited Aleppo University Hospital, his office has said, marking his first reported trip to an earthquake-hit area. The presidency shared images of al-Assad and his wife visiting people who were injured in the devastating earthquakes that have killed more than 21,500 people in Syria and Turkey.