Neelam Rahim / neelam@radioislam.co.za

2-minute read
13 February 2023 / 17:05

Image: Soweton Live

The earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria is ranked as the world’s seventh deadliest natural disaster of this century. It has seen at least 30-thousand people killed and about 100-thousand people injured and treated in hospitals. More than a million people are being cared for in temporary shelters.

Speaking to Radio Islam International updating the situation from the Ground in Turkey, Turkish Ambassador to South Africa, her excellency Aysegul Kandas said the disaster is beyond capacity for any state to deal with, and Turkey has appealed for international emergency aid.

The AFAD coordinates the efforts of ninety-five countries with more than 200 000 personnel on the ground. More than 10 000 foreign personnel, primarily search-and-rescue teams, work to free thousands of people trapped in collapsed buildings.

“We no longer need search and rescue teams. We are grateful for the six NGOs from South Africa who were very and speedy in reaching the area, while Gift of Givers are still on the ground. What we need is urgent supplies,” she says.

Meanwhile, 2400 aftershocks have been recorded. Rescuers have been racing against time and the elements to pull survivors out from under debris on both sides of the border. More than 5,700 buildings in Turkey have collapsed, according to the country’s disaster agency.