8.8 Millions Affected by Earthquake in Syria – UN
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – According to the latest UN statistics, 8.8 million Syrians have been affected by the Feb. 6 earthquake. An additional 1.75 million refugees, mostly Syrians, were affected by the earthquake in Turkey.
Almost half – or around 4 million – of affected Syrians were internally displaced before Feb. 6. 3.7 million of the 8.8 million are children. The UN puts the latest death toll in Syria at 5.791, and the number of injured at 10.041.
The worst-hit region in Syria is Aleppo Governorate, where the UN’s refugee agency, the UNHCR, counts 235 collective shelters housing 183.000 people affected by the earthquake.
The agency launched a $51.3 million supplementary appeal aiming to assist 385.000 earthquake victims across the country. On Feb. 14, it said it required $397.6 million to help 4.9 million earthquake-affected Syrians.
Activists in northwest Syria have criticized the UN for its slow reaction to the earthquake. During a visit to the area, Martin Griffiths, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, acknowledged that the organization had failed to properly assist victims.
Cross-border aid did not arrive in the region before February 9, when six truckloads arrived in northwest Syria. Since then, the UN has sent 192 aid trucks.