ANKARA (AFP) The death toll from devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria reached 33,000 on Sunday, with the United Nations warning the final figure could double.
Monday’s magnitude-7.8 earthquake killed 29,605 people in Turkey and him 3,574 in Syria, bringing the current total to 33,179, officials and medical sources said.
The United Nations on Sunday condemned the failure to get much-needed aid to war-torn areas in Syria. A UN convoy carrying supplies to northwestern Syria has arrived via Turkey, but Martin Griffiths, the organization’s aid chief, said more supplies were needed for the millions whose homes were destroyed. said it was necessary.
In Syria, years of conflict have ravaged the health system, and parts of the country are under the control of rebels fighting the government of President Bashar al-Assad, who is under Western sanctions.
An AFP correspondent said a UN convoy of 10 trucks carried a kit of shelters with plastic sheets, ropes, screws and nails, blankets and mattresses, through the Bab al-Hawa border crossing into northern Syria. headed west. A UN convoy of 10 trucks crossed the border with Turkey at the Bab Al Hawa border crossing in northwestern Syria. Trucks carried emergency shelter materials such as plastic sheets, blankets, mattresses, ropes, and even nails and screws.
A United Nations spokesman told Reuters on Sunday that earthquake aid from Syria’s government-held areas to areas controlled by hardline opposition groups would come from hardline Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). said it was hampered by permission issues with
The Syrian government last week said it was ready to send aid to northern regions, mostly held by HTS and devastated by Monday’s earthquake.
The Greek foreign minister arrived in Turkey on Sunday to show his support after a devastating earthquake hit the country seven days ago, the foreign ministry said. Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias received a warm hug from his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu before boarding a helicopter to visit the quake-hit areas, according to footage aired by state-owned ERT TV..
His arrival is the first visit to Turkey by a European minister since the earthquake.
The two ministers are in Antakya, where the Greek Rescue Service is supporting search and rescue efforts.
The European Union’s special envoy to Syria is not fair to accuse Bloc of not providing enough aid to Syrians after the devastating earthquake that hit parts of Syria and Turkey early Sunday morning. said no.
UN Secretary-General Martin Griffiths said he expected the death toll to at least double after arriving in southern Turkey on Saturday to assess the damage caused by the earthquake. Tens of thousands of rescue workers are searching devastated areas despite cold weather that is deepening the misery of millions of people who now need urgent help.
Safety concerns have halted some relief efforts, and dozens have been arrested for looting and defrauding victims following the earthquake in Turkey, according to state media.
