Earthquake: world failed to respond to Syria immediately, says UN
text_fields
Turkey: On the devastating earthquakes that took 33,000 (known count so far) lives in Turkey and Syria, the United Nations acknowledged the failure of the international community to respond in northwest Syria. The international organisation called for a ceasefire in the area to aid the disaster victims, Reuters reported.
According to UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths, those who reside in the rebel-held parts of Syria feel abandoned. Griffiths has visited the Turkish-Syrian border.
Reuters reported that the death count out of the February 6 earthquake reached 29,695 in Turkey and crossed 3,500 in Syria.
Meanwhile, Turkish authorities are on to contractors who built illegal and shoddy constructions, causing buildings to collapse easily. Turkish officials arrested or issued arrest warrants to around 131 people for alleged involvement in similar constructions, Associated Press reported.
The Justice minister of the country has pledged that the government would punish everyone responsible while prosecutors have started collecting samples from collapsed buildings to gather evidence on materials used for the constructions.
In the meantime, the seventh fight of Operation Dost, India’s support mission to Turkey-Syria on the crisis, landed in Syria on Sunday. The flight was loaded with 23 tons of relief material for Syria, and Syrian Deputy Minister of Local Administration and Environment Moutaz Douaji received it at Damascus airport, The Indian Express reported.
Indian Ministry of External Affairs informed that the flight was carrying 12 tons of relief material for Turkey too.
However, residents in Turkey are frustrated over the delayed rescue operations after the disaster hit them. Sorrow and disbelief became anger and tension over the ineffective, unfair and disproportionate response to the horrendous disaster, The Indian Express reported, citing locals.