China News Agency, United Nations, February 6 (Reporter Wang Fan) On February 6 local time, southern Turkey and northern Syria were hit by a strong earthquake, and the two countries reported serious casualties and property losses.
After the disaster, United Nations agencies launched emergency assistance, including providing life-saving assistance to people still buried under the rubble.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs issued an overview of the situation on the afternoon of the 6th, saying that official sources from Turkey and Syria indicated that the 7.7-magnitude earthquake and dozens of aftershocks that occurred in southern Turkey near the Syrian border in the early morning of the same day had killed about 2,000 people in the two countries.
The Turkish government issued a level 4 alert, requesting international assistance.
Thousands of buildings, including two hospitals, collapsed in the northern Syrian cities of Aleppo and Idlib, which were closer to the epicenter.
The devastation caused by the earthquake exacerbated the humanitarian crisis on the ground.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs pointed out that the earthquake occurred in the middle of winter.
The epicenter was near Gaziantep in southern Turkey, wreaking havoc on the city, which is a key hub for UN aid to northern Syria.
It is understood that after Turkey formally requested international assistance, UNICEF confirmed that it was ready to provide an emergency response to the country.
The United Nations Organization for Migration sent the same message, saying its warehouses in Gaziantep had non-food items and basic relief items ready for deployment.
The United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Group's team of reinforcement experts also said they were ready to deploy.
The United Nations system in Turkey said it stood ready to provide assistance.
The UNHCR Office in Syria stated that UNHCR is deeply saddened by the loss of life caused by the earthquake, and is currently actively coordinating the response with various UN agencies and other humanitarians to provide assistance and support to people in need in Syria.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that WHO's emergency medical teams have been authorized to provide critical care to the injured and the most vulnerable.
On the same day, UN Secretary-General Guterres issued a statement saying, "At this moment of grief, my heart is with the people of Turkey and Syria. The United Nations is fully supporting the response, and our teams are on the ground assessing needs and providing assistance." Guterres Tres said that the United Nations expects the international community to lend a helping hand to help thousands of people affected by the disaster.
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