Reply To: Earthquake kills dozens in Turkey

[Красимир Ганчев]

MORE THAN A WEEK AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE: The death toll in Turkey and Syria exceeds 36,000.

The Syrian government is opening two additional crossing points.
More than seven days after the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, rescuers continue their desperate efforts to find survivors under the rubble. However, hopes of finding people alive are dwindling. The victims in both countries are already close to 40 thousand.

The Syrian government is opening two additional checkpoints for aid to come in for those affected by the earthquake. The UN Secretary-General said this decision will have a significant impact on the amount of aid delivered and the speed with which it reaches the victims.

President Assad’s regime said the lack of aid for the victims was due to international sanctions against the country. But humanitarian organizations insist that the main obstacle is Assad’s refusal to allow convoys of food and clothing into territories he does not control.

Photo: EPA/BGNES
The Syrian government is opening two additional crossing points
More than seven days after the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, rescuers continue their desperate efforts to find survivors under the rubble. However, hopes of finding people alive are dwindling. The victims in both countries are already close to 40 thousand.

The tragedy in Turkey and Syria IN PHOTOS

The Syrian government is opening two additional checkpoints for aid to come in for those affected by the earthquake. The UN Secretary-General said this decision will have a significant impact on the amount of aid delivered and the speed with which it reaches the victims.

President Assad’s regime said the lack of aid for the victims was due to international sanctions against the country. But humanitarian organizations insist that the main obstacle is Assad’s refusal to allow convoys of food and clothing into territories he does not control.

There is a group of 20 Bulgarian cave rescuers in the Turkish province of Hatay. They are sent by an NGO to help. The men said they had arrived because they were already removing more corpses than living people.

“The area is located about 50 km from Syria. It’s more of a refugee center here. There are a lot of police and gendarmerie controlling the situation,” said one of the rescuers.