Rescue teams in Syria continue to search for survivors of a series of violent earthquakes that struck southern Turkey, causing thousands of casualties in both Turkey and cities in northern Syria and leading to the demolition of hundreds of buildings in both countries.
The death toll from the earthquake in northwestern Syria has risen to more than 900 deaths.
The White Helmets said on Tuesday that more than 900 civilians were killed and more than 2,300 were injured in Idleb governorate and rural Aleppo.
They pointed out that the number is likely to rise significantly due to the presence of hundreds of families under the rubble.
He stressed that his teams are continuing search and rescue operations amid great difficulties and aftershocks.
This comes as the World Health Organization said the chances of finding survivors from the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey are diminishing.
In this context, the White Helmets said that time is running out to rescue those trapped under the rubble in northwestern Syria, appealing to all humanitarian organizations and international bodies to help them rescue those stranded for more than 36 hours.
They said that “time is running out, and hundreds of families are still stuck under the rubble– every second may mean saving a soul.” They appealed to all humanitarian organizations and international bodies to provide material support and assistance to organizations responding to this disaster and urgently help the earthquake victims in northwestern Syria.
They explained that the number of buildings completely collapsed reached 210 buildings, and more than 520 buildings were partially demolished. Hundreds of families are still under the rubble.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health in Damascus said that the total number of deaths in Hama, Latakia, and Aleppo reached 812 deaths and 1,449 injuries, in an inconclusive toll.
According to the Health Authority of the Autonomous Administration, the death toll in northeastern Syria also rose to 6 dead and 57 wounded.
In Turkey, the death toll from the earthquake rose to 3,549 people, while the number of injured people reached 20,534, according to the latest official statistics.
European Union
For their part, residents in northwestern Syria, through their social media pages, appealed to various international and humanitarian actors to provide possible and available support to try to mend the catastrophic situation.
Several countries announced their intention to assist Syria, including the United States, France, the Netherlands, and Germany. However, none of that aid has arrived despite its urgent need.
The European Union announced on Tuesday that it had mobilized more than 30 rescue teams to Turkey to contribute to rescue operations affected by the earthquake that struck the country’s south.
European Commission spokesman Eric Mamer told a news briefing that the EU was mobilizing more than 30 teams to take part in rescue operations and treat the injured.
He said some medical, search, and rescue teams specialized in search and rescue operations, in addition to 70 dogs trained to detect the whereabouts of missing persons will be sent.
Mamer noted that the teams are made up of 19 member states of the Union, in addition to Montenegro and Albania.
Calls for relief for millions of afflicted people in Syria
Senior officials from the World Health Organization said on Tuesday that Syria’s humanitarian needs are at their highest level after a powerful earthquake that killed thousands there and in southern Turkey.
Adelheid Marschang, the organization’s chief emergency officer, said Turkey had a strong capacity to deal with the crisis, but basic needs that would not be met in the short to medium term would be in Syria, which has already been suffering from a humanitarian crisis for years due to war and a cholera outbreak.
“This is a crisis that comes on top of multiple crises in the stricken region,” she told the organization’s board meeting. “Needs are at their highest level across Syria after a complex and protracted crisis that lasted almost 12 years while humanitarian funding continues to decline.”
Some 23 million people, including 1.4 million children, are likely to be at risk in both countries after the earthquake, and its aftershocks reduced thousands of buildings to rubble.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said it sent emergency supplies, including emergency and trauma surgical equipment, and activated a network of emergency medical teams.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “It is a race against time… Every minute, every hour that passes, the chances of finding survivors fade.”
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
