World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived on Saturday in the Syrian city of Aleppo, which has been hit hard by the earthquake that has devastated several regions of Syria and neighboring Turkey.
The WHO chief arrived at Aleppo airport to visit some hospitals and shelters with the Syrian health minister and the regional governor, the SANA agency said.
This visit comes five days after the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, killing about 25,000 people, with at least 3,553 deaths recorded in an already devastated Syria by war.
On arrival, Tedros Ghebreyesus said he was traveling “with about 37 tons of emergency medical supplies”. “We are very happy to be able to come with this help,” he said on arrival, still at Aleppo airport.
The WHO chief added that his organization will continue to provide emergency medical assistance and provide more basic assistance needed for “trauma management”. “More than 30 tons of medical equipment will arrive tomorrow,” he added.
The director-general also expressed concern about the impact of the earthquake, in particular the interruption of services. “People are exposed to diarrheal diseases … and other health problems, especially psychological problems,” he said.
Since Monday’s earthquake, rescue teams and volunteers have been battling against time and with few resources to find survivors under the rubble of collapsed buildings. His visit “is important to verify the damage caused by the earthquake and the shortage of medical supplies and medicines in hospitals,” said Syrian Health Minister Hassan al-Ghabach.
Source: DN
