Rescue teams in Turkey managed to find several more survivors, which gives a ray of hope four days after the devastating earthquakes, writes Reuters.
At least 20,000 people died in the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Several hundred thousand more survivors are threatened by frost and hunger. Desperation has gripped people as rescue efforts continue. On the night of Friday, the 10th of February, several people, including children, were rescued from the rubble after more than 90 hours.
However, the hope of finding survivors is dwindling by the hour. The number of dead has exceeded the number of victims of the 1999 earthquake. Then an earthquake of similar strength struck the northwestern part of Turkey. A Turkish official has indicated that the disaster will seriously complicate the presidential elections scheduled for May. There is public anger at the slowness of aid and delays in rescue efforts, and if elections are held, the disaster will undoubtedly play a role in the distribution of votes.
The first UN aid convoy has crossed the border to Syria. The provision of aid in the country has been hampered by the military conflict that has lasted for more than a decade, and has destroyed Syria’s infrastructure.
Many people in both earthquake-affected countries have been left homeless in the middle of winter. Many have created primitive shelters in supermarket parking lots, mosques, roadsides, or among destroyed buildings. About 40% of the buildings were destroyed in Kahramanmaras, where the first earthquake’s epicenter was located. Turkish authorities say at least 6,500 buildings have been destroyed in the country and countless others have been damaged.
On the evening of Thursday, the 9th of February, the number of dead in Turkey was 17,674, while more than 3,300 people died in Syria.
Greece has sent thousands of tents and blankets to Turkey. Israel’s intelligence service is using satellites to map the affected regions. The World Bank will provide Turkey with 1,78 billion dollars in disaster relief, of which 780 million dollars are available immediately. The United States will allocate 85 million dollars for urgent humanitarian aid to Syria and Turkey.
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