United Nations: The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said UN partners are continuing to provide assistance to Turkey and Syria after a devastating February 6 earthquake that killed more than 57,300 people in the two neighboring countries. To date, UN agencies and humanitarian partners have reached nearly 535,000 people with shelter assistance, and nearly 1.4 million people have received water, sanitation and hygiene assistance, and nearly 200,000 people have been affected, a news agency quoted OCHA as saying. Health services have been provided to 47,000 people.
The International Organization for Migration estimated that 3 million people were displaced by the earthquakes in Turkey. About 1.7 million people are living in informal settlements, some of which lack proper water and sanitation services. OCHA said that there are over 345 organizations on the ground which are distributing hot meals to around 12.5 lakh people daily. Noting that as of Friday, the flash appeal was about 20 percent funded, the office said that “more money is urgently needed to help the more than 5 million people affected by the earthquake in Turkey.”
In Syria, OCHA and its humanitarian partners are scaling up their response in earthquake-affected areas across the country. To date, 1,035 trucks carrying humanitarian aid from seven UN agencies have crossed from Turkey into northwest Syria through the three available border crossings. “Our humanitarian partners in al-Hasakeh and ar-Raqqah governorates say that floods have damaged the tents of 270 families in collective shelters and informal settlements.” At least 100 other families have also been affected, some of whom have had to be temporarily relocated.” It said the affected families received emergency ready-to-eat rations, mobile medical services and other supplies from UN humanitarian partners. Goods are being received.
