The United Nations Children´s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that millions of children in Syria and Turkey need urgent humanitarian support due to the devastating earthquakes.
UNICEF said in a statement distributed by the organization´s office in Amman today (Tuesday) that 4.6 million children live in the affected areas in Turkey, in addition to 2.5 million other children affected, seven days after two devastating earthquakes and more than 1,600 aftershocks occurred in southeastern Turkey and in Syria. This caused widespread destruction and the loss of thousands of lives.
“Children and families in Turkey and Syria are facing unimaginable hardship in the aftermath of these devastating earthquakes,” said UNICEF Executive Director Kathryn Russell.
She added that we must do everything in our power to ensure that all survivors of this disaster have access to life-saving support, including safe water, sanitation, nutrition and critical medical supplies, and mental health support for children, not only during this period. but also Long term too.
She said the number of children killed and injured during the earthquakes and their aftermath has not yet been confirmed, but the number is likely to reach several thousand and the official death toll has exceeded 35,000 dead so far.
She pointed out that the impact of the earthquake on children and families in the region was catastrophic, as it left hundreds of thousands of people in miserable conditions, and many families lost their homes and are now living in temporary shelters, often in extreme conditions. cold / where snow and rain add to their suffering.
She said the earthquakes also caused widespread damage to schools and other vital infrastructure, increasing the risk to the well-being of children and families.
In Syria, she said, UNICEF is working to provide much-needed aid to the earthquake-affected population, and the organization has prepared supplies in northwestern Syria and has begun distributing them to as many people as possible.
And in Turkey, UNICEF´s immediate priority is ensuring affected children and families get the support they desperately need, said Director Russell.
UNICEF: More than 7 million children need urgent assistance in Turkey and Syria due to devastating earthquakes
