NGO appeals for engineering support to quake-affected Syria, Turkey
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) –International NGO RedR has launched an appeal to provide engineering support to earthquake-hit areas in Turkey and northwest Syria after two more quakes hit the countries on Feb. 20.
“Thousands of buildings have collapsed, leaving people homeless in the freezing winter conditions as aftershocks continue to rumble on,” a spokesperson for the charity said.
Turkey and Syria were hit by two new earthquakes on Feb.20, measuring 6.4 and 5.8 on the Richter scale, only two weeks after the deadly Feb.6 earthquakes.
At dawn on Feb. 6, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Syria and Turkey, reporting more than 45,000 confirmed fatalities and many more people were injured or displaced in both countries, the earthquake also caused immense destruction of buildings, trapping thousands under the rubble.
RedR is an international NGO, whose stated mission is to rebuild lives in times of disaster by training, supporting, and providing aid workers to relief programs across the world.
The RedR spokesman stressed the Feb. 20 earthquake has worsened conditions in northwest Syria which already suffers from “record-high humanitarian needs.”
In the quake-affected regions in both countries, thousands of buildings collapsed, while infrastructure, including roads, railways, health sector, and electricity services were severely damaged.