Over 35,000 Deaths In Syria-Turkey Earthquake

The toll from the earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria on February 6, 2023, rose to over 35 thousand on Monday. On day 8, despite more people being found, the aid efforts shifted toward the hundreds of thousands of people who were made homeless by the quake.

The confirmed death toll rose to 35 thousand two hundred and twenty-four, of which 31 thousand six hundred and forty-three people died in Turkey and 3 thousand five hundred and eighty-one in Syria.  
 
The United Nations expressed concern about the lack of aid sent to the war-torn regions of Syria and warned that the death toll was likely to rise even higher. Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu appealed to the Turkish people for help, saying that millions of victims needed feeding. In Kahramanmaras, 48 thousand are sheltered in schools and 11 thousand five hundred in sports halls.

Approximately 108 thousand buildings were damaged, with over a million people housed in school housing, according to Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay. Over 400 thousand people have been evacuated.
 
However, aid packages have been slow to arrive in Syria after years of conflict that has damaged the healthcare system, and parts of the country remain under the control of rebels battling the government.
The United Nations sent a 10-truck convoy carrying supplies for northwest Syria via the Bab al-Hawa crossing.

Despite this, the UN’s relief chief Martin Griffiths stated that more assistance is necessary for the millions of people who are now homeless.

Rescue teams have expressed their frustration with the lack of equipment, saying that they would have been able to save hundreds of lives if they had access to the right tools. The situation in Syria remains dire, and the international community has failed to provide adequate aid to the people in need.