UN admits 'international failure' for Syria as quake toll tops 34,000

The United Nations (UN) on February 12 admitted the international failure to help Syrian quake victims after Turkey-Syria was struck by a massive earthquake.

A UN convoy with supplies for northwest Syria arrived via Turkey, but the agency's relief chief Martin Griffiths said much more was needed for millions whose homes were destroyed.

''At the #Türkiye-#Syria border today. We have so far failed the people in northwest Syria.
They rightly feel abandoned. Looking for international help that hasn’t arrived. My duty and our obligation is to correct this failure as fast as we can. That’s my focus now,'' Griffiths tweeted.

At the #Türkiye-#Syria border today.
We have so far failed the people in north-west Syria.
They rightly feel abandoned. Looking for international help that hasn’t arrived.
My duty and our obligation is to correct this failure as fast as we can.
That’s my focus now.

— Martin Griffiths (@UNReliefChief) February 12, 2023

As per Griffiths, the figure is likely to double as chances of finding survivors fade with every passing day.

According to several reports, supplies have been slow to arrive in Syria, where years of conflict have ravaged the healthcare system, and parts of the country are under the control of rebels battling the government of President  Bashar al-Assad, which is under Western sanctions. 

Meanwhile, fresh tremors of a magnitude of 4.7 jolted Turkey on February 13, putting the nation into a deeper crisis even as the death toll mounted. Despite the fact that the death toll from the February 6 earthquake in Turkey and Syria has surpassed 34,000, rescue teams are working tirelessly, looking for survivors amid the rubble.

Turkish authorities began legal action in response to building collapses nearly a week after the worst earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria.

The death toll from the February 6 earthquake and major aftershocks in both countries surpassed 34,000 and appeared to be set to continue rising as the odds of finding additional survivors increased. It was Turkey's deadliest earthquake since 1939.

Also read: Turkey-Syria earthquake: Fresh tremors of magnitude 4.7 jolts country, death toll tops 34,000