The United Nations has criticised the slow aid response to survivors of the 6 February earthquake in Turkey and Syria and has called for greater assistance for survivors.
The death toll from the disaster continues to rise, with Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu confirming that 48,448 people had died in Turkey, including 6,660 foreign nationals, mostly Syrians. More than 6,000 people were killed in Syria.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, stated on Monday that the focus needs to be on immediate assistance as well as long-term rebuilding projects.
“The needs on the ground in both countries are enormous, and the response must be better resourced,” he said after a five-day visit to earthquake-devastated areas.
Meanwhile, the UN-backed Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria has criticised the international community and Syria’s government for not acting fast enough to help those in need in the northwest of the country.
The commission recommended investigating why it took a week following the earthquake for the government and the UN to agree on opening more border crossings from Turkey to provide aid to northwest Syria, which is under control of Turkish-backed rebel forces.
The commission, which is made up of independent experts working under a mandate from the UN-backed Human Rights Council, has been investigating and recording all violations of international law in Syria since 2011. The report will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council on 21 March.
