More than 7,200 People Have Died in Turkey and Syria Earthquake

The number of individuals who have perished as a result of the conflict between Turkey and Syria has increased once again.

The current number of fatalities is 7,266 in total.

This comes after the Turkish ministry of health announced that there had been 5,434 deaths throughout the nation.

At least 812 individuals have lost their lives in regions controlled by the Syrian government, while an estimated 1,020 people have lost their lives in areas held by rebels.

After a powerful earthquake wreaked significant wreckage in Turkey and Syria, the current death toll is expected to continue rising. It is believed that hundreds of people are buried under the debris, and rescue workers are fighting against the clock to find and release them.

Sanctions on Syria: Not a valid reason to withhold help

The Syrian ministry of foreign affairs has requested that European nations provide assistance.

According to Faisal Mekdad, the sanctions that the United Kingdom and the United States have imposed on Syria are not acceptable reason to withhold assistance.

Officials in Syria have maintained for a long time that Western sanctions are to blame for the failure of rebuilding efforts in parts of the nation where fighting from the country’s 12-year civil conflict has ceased.

However, the United States and European countries have said that the sanctions are intended to put pressure on the government of Syria to participate in a political process that may bring an end to the crisis.

Experts told Sky News that Syria was already dealing with a humanitarian catastrophe before to the earthquake, thus the country has an immediate and critical need for aid from the international community in its search and rescue efforts.

In the last several years, the nation has been plagued by a number of problems, including a civil war, an economic crisis, and most recently, in December, an epidemic of cholera.

Since the earthquake occurred on Monday, around forty nations have expressed their willingness to provide relief, including search and rescue teams, to the countries of Syria and Turkey.

Despite the fact that the United Nations has been sending help to Syria throughout the day, the majority of these have been giving assistance to Turkey.

This was temporarily put on hold this morning owing to the damaged roads and difficulties with the logistics.

A spokesperson for the United Nations named Madevi Sun-Suona said that some of the routes that would be utilized to carry the desperately needed help are “damaged” or “inaccessible.”

In addition, Ms. Sun-Suona said that “there are practical concerns that need to be sorted out.” “We do not have a crystal clear image of when it will restart,” the speaker said.