The World Health Organization estimated that the number of people affected by the earthquake reached 23 million, including some five million of the most vulnerable.
The death counter has not stopped spinning in Turkey and Syria since the devastating earthquake shook their lands, in the early hours of last Monday, while the rescue teams in Turkey and Syria continue today, Thursday, in a climate of extreme cold, their efforts searching for survivors under the rubble. , with decreasing chances of saving them after 3 days. Days after the earthquake that killed more than 16,000 people in both countries, amid official warnings that the number will rise.
Rescuers find more survivors under the rubble, though hope is fading, as rescuers race against time to extricate potential survivors trapped under the rubble of thousands of buildings that collapsed in the quake.
It’s a difficult situation
In Turkey, the Department of Disaster and Emergency Management announced that the death toll from the earthquake rose to more than 12,873, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that the death toll from the earthquake in Syria rose to more than 3,550.
About 63,000 people were injured in Turkey and more than 5,000 in Syria as a result of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake.
For its part, the World Health Organization estimated that the number of people affected by the earthquake reached 23 million, including some five million of the most vulnerable. In areas where help has not arrived, survivors feel isolated.
In turn, the Syrian opposition called on all countries and organizations to send aid to the northwest of the country.
“The Gaps”
This comes at a time when mounting criticism in Turkey has forced President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to acknowledge “gaps” in the government’s response.
President Erdogan acknowledged the existence of “gaps” in the response to the earthquake that hit his country and Syria and added, during a visit to the most affected province of Hatay (southern Turkey), located on the border with Syria, “for Of course there are gaps. It’s impossible to prepare for a disaster like this.”
While he condemned the criticism of the government’s efforts after the earthquakes, he told reporters: “This is a time for unity and solidarity. At a time like this, I can’t stand those who run negative campaigns for political interests.”
He said that it is not possible to prepare for such a disaster, but the government will speed up the removal of debris and the construction of houses.
“Some deceitful and dishonest people have spread false statements like ‘we have not seen any soldiers or policemen’,” Erdogan added.
This came after Turkish social media was awash with messages from people complaining about the lack of rescue and victim-search efforts in their areas, especially in the Hatay region.
The international aid
Since Tuesday, international aid has begun to arrive in Turkey, where a state of emergency has been declared for three months in the ten provinces affected by the earthquake.
Dozens of countries have offered their help to Ankara, including countries from the European Union, the Gulf, the United States, China, and Ukraine which, despite the Russian invasion, sent 87 rescuers.
For her part, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that in these circumstances, “Turkey and Syria can count on the European Union”, announcing the holding of a donor conference in early March in Brussels to gather international funds. help for both countries.
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