Turkey-Syria earthquake deaths to top 50,000: UN relief chief
United Nations (UN) aid chief Martin Griffiths on Saturday said the death toll from the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria would likely cross 50,000. Arriving in Turkey's Kahramanmaras city, the epicenter of Monday's first quake, Griffiths told SkyNews, "I think it is difficult to estimate precisely as we need to get under the rubble, but I'm sure it will double or more."
Why does this story matter?
On Monday, a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake rocked Turkey and parts of Syria, followed by hundreds of aftershocks until the next day. The death toll from the disaster has already crossed Turkey's 1999 earthquake tally, which claimed the lives of nearly 17,000 individuals in the region. Furthermore, this is reportedly the second most destructive quake in the highly earthquake-prone region in over a century.
Haven't really begun to count number of dead: UN official
The UN relief chief also revealed they are yet to start precisely counting the number of dead in the quakes. "Soon, the search and rescue people will make way for the humanitarian agencies whose job it is to look after the extraordinary numbers of those affected for the next months," said Griffiths. He added, "We haven't really begun to count the number of dead."
Griffiths calls earthquake 'worst in 100 years'
Earlier, the UN aid chief labeled the disastrous earthquake that rocked Syria and Turkey as the "worst event in 100 years in this region." During a news briefing earlier, Griffiths also lauded the "extraordinary" relief work by Turkey since the disaster struck. He also expressed hope the aid would reach Syria's government and opposition-held areas, adding things there weren't clear still, reported Reuters.
Death toll crosses 28,000 in Turkey-Syria earthquake
On Saturday, the official death toll from the horrifying earthquakes in Syria and Turkey crossed the 28,000 mark. While relief and rescue teams continue their operations under extreme weather conditions, the total number of homeless and starving individuals keeps growing. Furthermore, numerous humanitarian organizations and nations, including the UN, have extended support in the quake-struck areas.
Visuals from one of the disaster sites in Turkey
Help raise $77 million for feeding homeless: UN
In Turkey, over 24,600 deaths have been reported, while the tally in Syria has crossed 3,570. The United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) earlier appealed to raise nearly $77 million to provide hot meals and rations to almost 874,000 people affected by the earthquakes. Meanwhile, survivors in desperate need of food include 590,000 people in Turkey and 284,000 newly displaced Syrians.
More than 5 million people turn homeless in Syria: UN
The UN has claimed that more than five million people have become homeless in Syria after the disastrous earthquakes rocked the nation and neighboring Turkey, reported the news outlet Al Jazeera. "As many as 5.3 million people in Syria may have been left homeless by the earthquake," Sivanka Dhanapala, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Syria representative, said.
Almost 100 countries, top sporting bodies offered assistance
According to reports, 99 nations have so far offered support to Turkey for quake relief operations. Rescue and search crews from 68 different nations are currently operating in the country with over 8,300 foreign workers, as per the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Furthermore, the European Football Association (UEFA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have also offered financial support to the quake-affected people.
How NASA is helping in rescue operations in Turkey-Syria
The United States' (US) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has also extended support by sharing aerial images and data to assist rescue groups in the two quake-hit nations. NASA administrator Bill Nelson said that teams of experts are operating to provide useful details with the help of the space agency's synthetic aperture radar (SAR), capable of observing the Earth under every weather.
