Destruction caused by quake in Syria, Turkey “apocalyptic” – UNHCR
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Destruction caused by earthquake in Syria and Turkey is “apocalyptic” and millions of people suffered “loss, injury and trauma” Commissioner of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, said on Monday.
The UNHCR said, in a statement, “The level of destruction and devastation is shocking and in many places it is apocalyptic,” Grandi said after the visit. “Millions have suffered loss, injury and trauma, and many others have been displaced by this tragic and terrible event.”
The UN has asked for nearly $400 million for the humanitarian response to the earthquake in Syria and $1 billion for Turkey.
In Syria, Grandi visited government-held areas of Latakia, Hama and Damascus, as well as other areas impacted by the earthquake and areas shelter IDPs in Syria, the statement reads.
Grandi met with IDPs – displaced both by war and the earthquake.
The UNHCR later said that “their plight exemplified the extraordinary hardship that 12 years of conflict have had on the Syrian people and the infrastructure of the country, including basic services like water and electricity.”
In Feb. 24, the UNHCR estimated that 5.37 million people in the whole of Syria affected by the earthquake will need shelter assistance.
The UN has been criticized for its slow reaction in sending aid to the region, particularly opposition-held northwest Syria.
Grandi seemed to acknowledge as much when he said that “the response [to the earthquake] must be better resourced … While it is critical to think about and support longer-term efforts, much more humanitarian aid and early recovery resources are needed so that people can begin to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.”