Earthquake in Türkiye and Syria: Death toll rises to over 12,000
On February 8, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that the country's authorities are promoting the opening of two more border crossings with Syria to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to this neighboring country, which is also suffering severe consequences of the recent devastating earthquake.
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Injured people are moved from the rubble after an earthquake in Idlib province, Syria on February 7, 2023. Photo: AFP/VNA |
Speaking at a press conference attended by Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay, Mr. Cavusoglu stated: “The Cilvegozu border crossing is open. We are working to open two more border crossings… We are also providing the necessary support for the aid to reach Syria.”
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the road leading to the Bab al-Hawa border crossing from Türkiye to northern Syria had been damaged and aid deliveries to the rebel-held northwest had been temporarily disrupted. The UN is preparing a convoy to enter Syria, but that may require a new agreement with the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Dujarric said.
According to statistics up to this point, the death toll from the recent devastating earthquake in southern Türkiye and northern Syria has exceeded 12,000 people.
Several countries and international organizations are mobilizing rescue teams and sending relief supplies to the earthquake-affected areas in Türkiye and Syria. The British government announced on February 8 that it would provide additional aid, including tents and blankets, to support survivors of the February 6 earthquake in Turkey and Syria, amid freezing weather in the two countries. Meanwhile, Pakistan has sent its first batch of relief supplies to Türkiye to support the earthquake rescue efforts. An Egyptian rescue team, including medical experts and rescue workers, and three military planes carrying humanitarian aid, medical supplies and tents, have arrived in Syria to help victims of the devastating earthquake in the Middle Eastern country.
On the same day, President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula von der Leyen announced that the European Union (EU) plans to hold a donors' conference next March to mobilize international aid to help Syria and Türkiye overcome the devastating consequences of the recent earthquake.
