The Turkish Minister of Interior announced that the number of deaths from the earthquakes that struck the south of the country reached 43,556, amid international calls to support its efforts at the beginning of the reconstruction process.
Turkey continues its efforts to search for victims and remove rubble from cities affected by earthquakes, with the death toll exceeding 43,000, amid international calls to support its efforts at the beginning of the reconstruction process.
A UN coordinator calls on the international community to provide the necessary support to Turkey
The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Turkey, Alvaro Rodriguez, called on the international community to provide the necessary support to Turkey, given that it generously hosts millions of Syrian refugees.
Rodriguez visited a camp for earthquake victims in Kahramanmaraş, where he received a briefing from officials there about the conditions of those affected.
In a statement to reporters, the UN official expressed his deep sorrow over the deaths of many people as a result of the earthquake, and extended his condolences to the Turkish people.
He explained that he also visited the state of Kahramanmaraş, adding that today he saw the effects of the devastating earthquake with his own eyes.
He stated that the Turkish people and government and the international community have provided all forms of necessary support to the earthquake areas since its occurrence.
He pointed to Turkey's reception of Syrian refugees, adding: "Taking into account its generous hosting of refugees, we expect the international community to provide the necessary support to Turkey."
Turkey begins to transport the vehicles affected by the earthquake
The Turkish authorities began to withdraw the vehicles damaged by the earthquake disaster and transfer them to the positions of the security directorates in the southern states.
The vehicles were damaged as a result of the collapse of the buildings above them, following two successive earthquakes that struck southern Turkey early this month.
The authorities in Malatya began pulling cars out of the rubble and stacking them in special parking lots.
In a statement to Anadolu Agency, a member of the Turkish Police Force Strengthening Corporation, Sezgin Kara, said that the institution's mechanisms withdraw daily 20-30 vehicles destroyed by the earthquake in Malatya alone.
He added that 120 vehicles have been piled so far in one of the Security Directorate's parking lots, expecting that the number of destroyed vehicles will increase as the rubble of buildings continues to be removed.
He pointed out that the vehicle owners feel deeply saddened by the loss of their homes and vehicles, but they assert that "there is no way out."
Albistan is about to recover from the earthquake
The city of Albistan in Kahramanmaraş continues its recovery process from the effects of the earthquake by removing rubble and relocating the affected people in prefabricated houses.
Albistan is the epicenter of the second earthquake that struck Kahramanmaraş with a magnitude of 7.6, hours after the first earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 in the "Nordaghi" region of the same state on February 6.
In a statement to Anadolu Agency, the Turkish governor of Kayseri, Gokmen Çiçek, who is responsible for managing relief work in the city of Albistan, said that the rubble removal work is continuing through drilling machines belonging to the municipalities of Trabzon, Samsun and Kayseri, with the number of workers reaching 7 thousand people.
Gökmen explained that the Turkish Ministry of Interior entrusted him with this task, noting that the city continues to recover after the earthquake.
He pointed out that workers remove the rubble of about 60 collapsed buildings daily, and that work continues 24 hours a day in the city, with the aim of accelerating the process of returning life to normal.
He confirmed that the damage inventory works in the city center of Albistan have been completed, with the approaching completion of those works in the aforementioned city’s countryside.
He added, "I think the rubble removal work in Albistan will be completed in a few days."
With regard to efforts to supply the city with foodstuffs, the governor stressed that there are no shortcomings in this regard.
He said, "The work of healing Albistan's wounds continues with great momentum, with the aim of returning it to its previous normal days, as the Agricultural Bank has returned to its activity, as well as the Postal Corporation, to its activity within a temporarily prefabricated house."
Çiçek also confirmed the reopening of shops not affected by the earthquake, with the re-supply of natural gas to 4,100 buildings.
The death toll exceeds 43 thousand
Turkish Interior Minister Suleiman Soylu announced on Wednesday that the number of deaths from the earthquakes that struck southern Turkey on February 6 reached 43,556.
In a related context, the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) indicated in a statement that 7,242 aftershocks occurred since the first earthquake, 41 of which were between 5 and 6 degrees, and 450 between 4 and 5 degrees on the Richter scale.
The statement stated that Avad continues to transfer tents to the region from the first moment in order to meet the shelter needs of those affected by the earthquake, and that it has installed 300,809 tents in the affected states.
The administration added that it has set up camps in 270 points to date in the affected states.
On Monday, an earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale struck the "Dafna" area in the Turkish state of Hatay (south) at 20:04.
AFAD announced earlier that 90 aftershocks of 5.8 degrees were recorded, and 6 people died and 294 others were injured, 18 of whom were in serious condition as a result of the earthquake.
The Hatay earthquake comes two weeks after a double earthquake struck the province of Kahramanmaraş (south) with a magnitude of 7.7 and 7.6 degrees, and their impact affected northern Syria, which left great losses in lives and property in both countries.
40 trucks per day The United Nations increases relief aid to northwestern Syria
A United Nations official announced an increase in the delivery of relief aid to those affected by earthquakes in northwestern Syria, by 40 trucks per day.
A senior United Nations official said Thursday that the organization will increase aid deliveries to opposition-held areas in northwest Syria in the coming days to help the millions affected by this month's catastrophic earthquake.
Muhannad Hadi, the United Nations Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syrian Crisis, noted that the planned increase of relief trucks to 40 trucks per day is still insufficient to face the humanitarian crisis in the region, as there is an urgent need for medical supplies to combat diseases, as well as for more food and temporary shelters.
Hadi told Reuters that more than 280 trucks have crossed the Turkish border into northwestern Syria since relief operations resumed on February 9, three days after the earthquake struck, after they were halted due to damage to main roads.
The opposition-held area, an area where 90 percent of its four million residents depend on aid for basic needs, was hardest hit by the earthquake in Syria.
The United Nations says the disaster has killed more than 4,500 people in the area.
"We hope to reach 40 trucks a day very soon this week, to double the number we were delivering before the earthquake, with more resources," Hadi said.
The increase in aid is linked to the opening of additional crossings from Turkey into opposition areas in Syria, such as the Bab al-Hawa crossing, which is already being used under a United Nations Security Council mandate. Al-Assad gave an exceptional permit to open two other crossings for a period of three months.
The Syrian regime has also granted blanket authorization, rather than case-by-case approvals, for the same period for aid deliveries from government-held areas to the northwest of the country.
Hadi said aid flows through these routes will increase further once all parties allow the United Nations to deliver.
He added that while the devastation in Syria was worse concentrated in the northwest, donors should respond quickly to the $400 million appeal.
This money is needed on top of another $4.8 billion already needed across Syria for this year.
"If we don't get financing quickly, if we can't replenish stocks, we will face a difficult situation," Hadi said.
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