The search for survivors is ongoing despite the extreme cold in Turkey and Syria.
After powerful earthquakes shook Turkey’s southeast region bordering Syria, 2,316 deaths have been reported by Turkish authorities. There have been 1,444 further deaths in Syria, according to reports.
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck several hours after the original magnitude 7.8 tremor that struck early on Monday and destroyed houses as people slept. 2,379 people have passed away in Turkey.
The death toll from the earthquakes on Monday has increased to 2,379 in Turkey, according to Vice President Fuat Oktay of Turkey.
He claimed that 7,840 individuals had been pulled from the rubble, while 14,482 more had been hurt in 10 provinces.
Approximately 338,000 survivors were finding refuge in dorms, colleges, and other buildings, he noted.
Xi offers condolences to Erdogan of Turkey and Assad of Syria
Presidents of Turkey and Syria, Bashar al-Assad, have received condolence messages from Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The China Daily website reported that Xi expressed his shock at the high death toll and his genuine sympathies to the families of the deceased and injured.
In the meantime, the China International Development Cooperation Agency declared that it had been in contact with relevant departments in Turkey and Syria and was prepared to offer the required urgent humanitarian support, according to the China Daily. UN representative for Syria requests assistance with rescue efforts
Syria is appealing to the UN and all of its members for assistance with search and rescue operations, medical care, housing, and food supplies.
Syria’s earthquake-damaged region is split between government-controlled land and the final opposition-held outpost, which is flanked by government troops and borders Turkey.
According to Bassam Sabbagh, Syria’s ambassador to the UN, the UN secretary-general “assured us that the UN will do all it can to support Syria in this very difficult circumstance.” Sabbagh claimed to have handed Antonio Guterres a letter from the nation’s foreign minister pleading for assistance.
Sabbagh was questioned about Syria’s willingness to permit the UN to send aid through alternative crossing points from Turkey if it is possible.
The administration is prepared to assist and organize humanitarian delivery “to all Syrians throughout all territory of Syria,” he stated, without immediately responding.
For everything from food to medical supplies, the rebel-held region has relied on a steady influx of aid from adjacent Turkey. Calling Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey to offer his condolences is US President Joe Biden.
In a phone call following the earthquake on Monday, US President Joe Biden offered his condolences to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In response to this tragedy, Biden “reaffirmed the preparedness of the United States to give any and all essential assistance to our NATO ally Türkiye,” the White House stated in a statement. A top UN official claims that poor roads and weather make it difficult to rescue Syrians.
According to a senior UN humanitarian official, the agency’s ability to respond to Monday’s earthquake in Syria is being hampered by cold weather, fuel shortages, and road damage.
The earthquake primarily affected the north, where 12 years of civil conflict had already traumatized the populace and damaged many structures.
“The infrastructure is broken, the highways we used for humanitarian operations are damaged, and we have to find novel ways to reach the people… El-Mostafa Benlamlih, the UN resident coordinator, spoke to the Reuters news agency via video link from Damascus, saying, “We are working hard, nonetheless.
About 70% of the population, according to a UN assessment made before the earthquake, required humanitarian assistance.
Benlamlih stated that “they are the same folks now, suffering worse.”
He observed that many people whose homes had collapsed were spending the night in the open or in their cars, frequently in subfreezing temperatures, with inadequate access to necessities like jackets and mattresses. Turkish rescue teams and medical personnel are sent by South Korea’s president.
Turkish rescuers and emergency medical supplies are being sent on an order from South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol.
According to a statement released by the presidential office on Tuesday, Yoon “directed concerned government departments to… come up with further support measures in case Turkey needs them.”
1h ago (00:58 GMT) (00:58 GMT)
Let us know: The US offers Turkey aid
Turkey has been offered the full support of the US in its response to Monday’s earthquake by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
According to State Department spokesman Ned Price, Blinken instructed Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to call and inform him of “whatever Turkey wanted that we might supply.”
Price said that Blinken had requested his top staff to look into potential funding sources for the Turkish government and NGOs operating in Syria.
According to the US Agency for International Development, Washington has sent out a Disaster Assistance Response Team and is currently preparing to send out two urban search and rescue teams, each of which will have 79 members, from Virginia and California.
