UN Relief Chief to Visit Aleppo, Damascus
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – UN aid chief Martin Griffiths will visit Aleppo and Damascus in Syria, as well as the Turkish city of Gaziantep, this weekend, Reuters reported on Thursday.
An 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and northwest Syria on Monday, leading to large-scale destruction and thousands of deaths. Aleppo, as well as Syria’s northwest were hardest-hit in the country.
The UN official will assess how to best step up support, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. He also pushed for more aid to be delivered to opposition-controlled Idlib. Despite being among the most-affected regions, it has received next to no outside help.
“Roads are damaged. People are dying. Now is the time to explore all possible avenues to get aid and personnel into all affected areas. We must put people first,” Guterres told reporters.”
According to North Press’ own Documentation and Monitoring Department, the earthquake has claimed at least 3.840 lives and left over 7.000 people injured in Syria.