More than 21,000 people have been declared dead since Monday’s earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. The UN said the disaster’s full extent is still unclear.
Rescuers are still searching for survivors, four days after the first quake hit.
Tens of thousands of people have spent a freezing fourth night in makeshift shelters, after losing their homes in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the quake “the disaster of the century”.
A major international relief effort is gathering pace. On Thursday the World Bank pledged $1.78bn (R30bn) in aid to Turkey, including immediate finance for rebuilding basic infrastructure and to support those affected by the earthquakes.
Another donation came from the US, which pledged a package of $85m (R1,5bn) to both countries.
Meanwhile, the efforts of 100,000 or more rescue personnel on the ground are being hampered by logistical hurdles, including vehicle shortages and devastated roads.
UN chief Antonio Guterres warned that the full extent of the disaster was still “unfolding before our eyes”, especially in Syria, where a long-running civil war has devastated the country.
On Thursday, the first UN humanitarian aid crossed the border into north-western Syria through Idlib’s Bab al-Hawa crossing. The crossing is the only way UN aid can reach the region without travelling through areas controlled by Syrian government forces.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
