ROME – The head of the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) mentioned on Saturday he was confronted with “apocalyptic” scenes as he visited earthquake-stricken areas in southern Turkey.
Strong earthquakes, which started on Feb. 6, have struck each Turkey and neighboring Syria, killing greater than 50,000 folks in accordance with the most recent figures launched on Friday.
“There is only one way to describe what I saw today: apocalyptic,” WFP government director David Beasley mentioned after visiting the town of Antakya in Turkey’s Hatay province.
“Entire neighborhoods have been flattened; homes destroyed, schools and shops closed; lives torn apart. The scale of devastation here is truly incomprehensible,” he mentioned.
The official added in an announcement that the scenario on the Syrian facet amounted to a “catastrophe on top of a catastrophe,” referring to the previous 12 years of civil conflict.
The WFP mentioned Beasley visited a UN logistics hub the place vehicles are loaded with meals and different emergency provides earlier than crossing over into northwest Syria.
He burdened the urgency of scaling up meals deliveries to Syria “through all routes — without any restrictions”, and known as for “all parties to facilitate access”.
Northwest Syria, which is managed by opposition teams at conflict with President Bashar al-Assad and which has a inhabitants that was already depending on support for fundamental wants, was the realm of the nation worst hit.
Increasing support deliveries are linked to the opening of extra crossings from Turkey into rebel-held areas.
One of those, Bab al-Hawa, was already in use underneath UN Security Council authorization and Assad has given distinctive clearance for 2 others to be opened for 3 months. —Reuters
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
