The devastating earthquake that rocked Turkey and Syria on Monday (6) has killed 33,179 people this Sunday (12), according to official figures. This number is equivalent to the entire population of the cities of Peña or Pomerode on the north coast and Vale do Itajaí respectively.

An earthquake in Turkey and Syria was recorded last Monday (6). UN complains about lack of support for victims – Photo: AFP/Disclosure/ND

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake in southern Turkey has killed 29,605 people, the country’s state-run disaster management agency said, adding 3,574 deaths in Syria. However, according to the UN (United Nations), the final number could be at least twice as high.

The UN deplored the delay in sending humanitarian aid to the devastated areas of Syria and warned that the final death toll could be more than double the current number.

A new UN convoy arrived in northwest Syria on Sunday from Turkey, but UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said more support is needed for the millions who lost their homes in the magnitude 7.8 earthquake.

“Until now, we have failed the people of northwestern Syria. They have a right to feel abandoned, waiting for international aid that is not coming,” Griffiths said, adding that “it is my duty and my responsibility to correct this failure as soon as possible.”

The situation is exacerbated in Syria, whose healthcare system and global infrastructure have been overwhelmed by more than a decade of civil war.

The convoy, consisting of a dozen trucks loaded with rescue tools, as well as blankets and mattresses, crossed the Bab el-Hawa border post this Sunday, leaving Turkey, an AFP correspondent said.

On Saturday (11), speaking directly from Kahramanmaras, near the epicenter of the earthquake in Turkey, Griffiths had already warned that the death toll could rise significantly.

“It’s really difficult to estimate very precisely because you have to get hit by the rubble, but I’m sure it will double or even more,” Griffiths said on Saturday (11) in the Turkish city of Kahramanmaras, near the epicenter. earthquake earthquake.

“We have dealt with many conflicts around the world… But having lost 20, 30 or 40,000 people in one night, we don’t see it even in these conflicts,” Griffiths continued.

“It’s scary,” he added.

Amid the devastating backdrop and icy cold, tens of thousands of local and foreign rescuers work among the ruins looking for signs of life.

Concerns for the safety of rescue teams have forced a halt to operations, however, and dozens of people have been arrested in Turkey on charges of looting after the quake, state media reported.

An Israeli volunteer group announced its withdrawal due to “serious” threats to its security in Turkey.

26 million affected

Despite all the difficulties, reports continue to come of miraculous cases of people being found under the rubble, but experts warn that hopes of finding survivors are fading every day.

In southern Turkey, a seven-month-old baby named Hamza was rescued alive more than 140 hours after the Hatay earthquake, and a 13-year-old girl named Esma Sultan was rescued in Gaziantep, according to media reports.

The WHO (World Health Organization) estimated that 26 million people were affected by the earthquake and launched an urgent appeal to raise US$42.8 million to fund urgent health needs.

About 32,000 people have been mobilized in rescue operations, in addition to more than 8,000 foreign rescuers, according to the Turkish Emergency and Disaster Agency. However, in many areas the crews do not have sensors, which means that their work is reduced to carefully digging up collapsed buildings with shovels or even with their bare hands.

Alaa Mubarak, director of civil defense in Jable in northwestern Syria, said he had not received new equipment in 12 years.

“If we had such equipment, we would have saved hundreds of lives, maybe more,” he says.

resentment grows

The Syrian government announced that it had approved the delivery of humanitarian aid to rebel-held areas outside its control in Idlib province and that the convoy was due to leave on Sunday, although it was later delayed.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has asked the Security Council to authorize the opening of additional border posts to send aid from Turkey to rebel-controlled areas of Syria.

The passage of days also increases the search for accountability, especially in Turkey, where the population is outraged by the government’s slow response and the poor quality of buildings following the country’s worst disaster in nearly a century.

Authorities say more than 12,000 homes were destroyed or severely damaged in the quake. So far, police have arrested 12 people, including several developers, for building collapses.

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© Agence France-Presse