More support needed for quake survivors in Syria, Turkey – UNHCR
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The UN High Commission for Refugees(UNHCR) said on Monday that more efforts should be exerted to support survivors from the Feb. 6 earthquake in Syria and Turkey.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, who paid a five-day visit to areas devastated by the earthquake in both countries, said in a statement, “The needs on the ground in both countries are enormous.”
Grandi was cited by the US-owned news network VOA as saying, “Much more humanitarian aid and early recovery resources are needed so that people can begin to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.”
He stressed that many places sustain “shocking” and “apocalyptic” levels of devastation.
The death toll in Turkey has surged to 48.448 and in Syria to 6.000, and let alone the drastic extent of devastation left in the two countries.
The UN-appointed International Commission of Inquiry on Syria accused on Monday Syrian government and other parties to the conflict in Syria, the international community, and the UN of neglecting millions of Syrians after February earthquakes turning the country to “an epicenter of neglect.”
At dawn on Feb. 6, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit northwestern Syria and southern Turkey, killing more than 50.000 individuals and injuring many more. The earthquake also caused immense destruction of buildings, trapping thousands under the rubble.
Grandi stressed that the focus needs to be not just on long-term rebuilding projects, but on immediate assistance.