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The Turkish authorities concluded on February 19 the work to remove possible survivors from the rubble, in most of the regions affected by the earthquake on February 6. However, operations continue in Hatay and Kahramanmaraş, two of the most affected. More than 46,000 deaths have been confirmed so far in Turkey and Syria and the number is expected to rise as thousands remain missing.
Final stretch of rescue operations in Turkey. Hopes of finding more survivors are eclipsed after this Sunday, February 19, the search for possible survivors concluded in most of the provinces affected by the earthquake on February 6.
Operations are only maintained in Hatay and Kahramanmaraş, two of the most affected areas in the south of Turkish territory.
Although experts point out that most successful discoveries take place in the first 24 hours of a disaster, this country has witnessed miraculous rescues in recent days, in which several people have been brought out alive after spending up to 12 days under the ruins.
The most recent were reported on Saturday, February 18, when emergency teams found three people, including a child. Although the mother and father survived, the little boy later died of dehydration.
Now, the chances of finding life in the rubble are further reduced. “In many of our provinces, search and rescue efforts have been completed. They continue in the provinces of Kahramanmaraş and Hatay”, the head of the Turkish disaster agency, Yunus Sezer, confirmed in Ankara.
Specifically, efforts to locate possible survivors continue in some 40 buildings in the aforementioned provinces.
The death toll in Syria and Turkey exceeds the barrier of 46,000
Two weeks after the worst event in the region, as described by the UN, the authorities confirm more than 46,000 fatalities from the earthquake and aftershocks that shook both southern Turkey and northwestern Syria.
The majority of deaths are registered on Turkish soil.
But the death toll is expected to skyrocket due to thousands of people still missing.
In Turkey alone, around 345,000 apartments were destroyed, according to official figures.
US announces $100 million more in aid
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Turkey on Sunday to boost Washington’s aid to the region hit by the devastating 7.6-magnitude earthquake.
Blinken, who flew over one of the most affected areas together with the Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlüt Çavusoglu, announced an additional $100 million to respond to the consequences of the devastation in the two countries.
Thus, the total amount up to now confirmed by Washington to deal with the catastrophe rises to 185 million dollars.
“I am deeply saddened to see firsthand the devastation of the earthquakes in Turkey. The United States remains committed to doing everything we can to help with rescue, relief and recovery efforts,” Blinken posted on his Twitter account, after flying over some of the hardest hit areas, in Hatay province.
This is the first visit of the highest representative of US diplomacy to Turkish soil since he took office and he is scheduled to participate in an official event in Ankara on Monday, February 20.
Syrian groups urged to unlock access to deliver humanitarian aid
The people of Syria, a nation already ravaged by war for more than a decade, have faced obstacles in accessing humanitarian aid.
With temperatures below zero and in the open air or in improvised camps, thousands of families who were left homeless remain, while they urge the delivery of food, water, blankets and other basic necessities.
Although various human rights organizations report their efforts to bring assistance to those affected, delivery is slowing down. And it is that in the midst of the internal conflict, the nation is partially dominated by the Bashar Al-Assad regime and other areas by opposition groups such as the jihadist organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
Given this scenario, the head of the World Food Program (WFP) this weekend pressured the groups that control the northwest of the country to stop blocking access to the area, in order to bring aid to hundreds of thousands of people devastated by the tragedy.
However, the organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported that a convoy of 14 trucks with assistance managed to enter the northwest of the territory on February 19, from a nearby border crossing to help in rescue operations.
With Reuters and EFE
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