“There Are Shortcomings”: Turkish President As Earthquake Deaths Reach 15,000
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Raven Ruma
- . February 9, 2023
- . Update: February 9, 2023 6:17 pm
The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has acknowledged “shortcomings” in Turkey’s response to the massive earthquake that has killed more than 15,000 people in Turkey and Syria.
According to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD), Turkey’s overall death toll stood at 12,391 people. Reportedly, at least 2,992 deaths have been reported in Syria.
The Turkish President visited one of the hardest-hit spots in Turkey, Kahramanmaras, and acknowledged problems in the response. He reportedly said, “Of course, there are shortcomings. The conditions are clear to see.”
According to reports, over 13 million people have been impacted due to the earthquake so far in the ten Turkish regions of Kahramanmaras, Gaziantep, Hatay, Osmaniye, Adiyaman, Malatya, Sanliurfa, Adana, Diyarbakir and Kilis. In Antakya, the capital of Hatay Province, dozens of bodies were lined up on the ground outside a hospital.
Read | Turkey-Syria earthquake: death toll exceeds 9,500; WHO warns that “time is running out”
Since the disaster struck on Monday, around 6,000 buildings have collapsed in the country. Survivors have been left to scramble for food and shelter in the aftermath of Monday’s massive 7.8-magnitude quake.
There were similar scenes and complaints in Syria. Reportedly, the sanctioned government in Damascus made an official plea to the European Union (EU) for help. The EU said it would send 3.5 million euros in aid to Syria.
Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations said that the government had a “lack of capabilities” to tackle earthquakes and help people impacted by the earthquake. Iraq, Iran, Libya, Egypt, Algeria and India have sent relief aid to Syria.
Over 70 countries and 14 international organisations have vowed to help Turkey in order to mitigate the effects of earthquakes.
The devastating 7.8- magnitude earthquake struck Turkey’s southern province of Kahramanmaras on Monday, followed by a 6.4-magnitude temblor a few minutes later in the Gaziantep province of the country.
