The Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), António Guterres, launched a EUR 940 million humanitarian appeal this Thursday to help the people of Turkey cope with the effects of the country’s devastating earthquakes.
“The funding – covering a three-month period – will help 5.2 million people and enable aid organizations to rapidly scale up essential support for government-led relief efforts in a number of areas, including food security, protection, education, water and shelter”explained Guterres.
According to the United Nations leader, the “needs are enormous” and “there is no time to lose” in a country that is hosting the largest number of refugees in the world and has “showed enormous generosity to its Syrian neighbors for years”. “.
“Now is the time for the world to stand with the Turkish people, just as they have stood with others seeking help. (…) I urge the international community to fully fund this crucial effort in response to one of the world’s greatest natural disasters, our time,” Guterres said concluding his call.
The UN Secretary-General had already issued a humanitarian appeal of $ 397 million (369.3 million euros) on Tuesday to help the Syrian people for three months after the earthquakes.
Shortly after the devastating earthquakes that hit southern Turkey and northern Syria on February 6, the United Nations made available $50 million (46.5 million euros) through the Central Emergency Response Fund.
According to Guterres, “the needs are huge” and the most effective way to support those in need “is by providing this emergency funding.”
The International Movement of the Red Cross and Red Crescent also today increased its request for funding for humanitarian aid to Turkey and Syria to €650 million.
Ten days after the devastating earthquake that hit the border region between the two countries, the aid agency warned that millions of affected families are in need of shelter, urgent medical attention, food and water.
In addition, the organization called on the entire population of Turkey to donate blood to meet the growing needs in the region.
At least 36,187 people died and another 108,000 were injured in Turkey after the two strong earthquakes that hit the country, Turkey’s Emergency and Disaster Management Agency (AFAD) said today.
The earthquakes caused the collapse of thousands of buildings – among which tens of thousands of bodies may still be buried, several Turkish and international experts warned – and another 50,000 buildings were seriously damaged and will have to be demolished.
So far, about 5,000 people have been killed in Syria due to earthquakes.
Source: DN
