Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised more than a week after the devastating earthquakes that he will continue the search and reconstruction efforts of the country, writes Reuters.
In Turkey and Syria, the total death toll has exceeded 41,000, and survivors have been left homeless and forced to face temperatures that often drop below zero. After a meeting at the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), Erdogan said the search would continue until all victims were found. He said an assessment of the damage would be completed within a week and restoration work would begin in the coming months. More than 105 thousand people were injured in the earthquakes, and many of them are still in hospitals.
Erdogan admitted that initially there were problems in the organization and management of the rescue work. He stated:
«We are facing one of the greatest natural disasters not only in our country but also in the history of humanity.»
A 77-year-old woman was freed alive from the rubble of a seven-story building in Adiyaman. She was trapped for 212 hours.
On the 14th of February, nine other survivors were found, but the rescuers’ work is currently being directed to help the residents who have been left without shelter and food.
Hans-Henri Kluge, head of the European office of the World Health Organization, informed that about 26 million people need help in the two countries devastated by the earthquake. Health issues are also a concern.
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