Syrian government declares four governorates “disaster zone”
DAMASCVUS, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian government has declared the areas worst affected by Feb. 6’s deadly earthquakes – Latakia, Hama, Aleppo and Idlib – as “disaster zones” and will set up a fund for their reconstruction.
The decision was taken during an emergency cabinet meeting, in which it was decided to create a national fund for the rehabilitation of the affected areas, and to provide all possible support to those affected.
A ‘disaster zone” is an area officially declared to be the scene of an emergency created by a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, earthquake, flood, etc., or as a result of an industrial disaster or of human error, such as nuclear leaks. Such a zone qualifies to receive certain types of governmental aid, such as emergency loans and relief supplies.
At dawn on February 6, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Syria and Turkey, killing thousands and injuring many more. The earthquake also caused immense destruction of buildings, trapping thousands under the rubble.
The search for victims and survivors continues, but chances of finding survivors are getting slimmer as rescue teams face great difficulties due to the lack of adequate digging equipment and freezing weather.
On Saturday, the number of victims of the earthquake had risen to 3.713 in the Syrian government areas, including 1.387 deaths and 2.326 injuries, according to the Ministry of Health.
In northwest Syria, which is under the control of the Turkish-backed opposition, also known as the Syrian National Army (SNA), as well as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS – formerly al-Nusra Front), the number of deaths reached 2.166 and 2.950 injuries.