The death toll from the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria has risen to nearly 44,000, as hopes of finding survivors fade. Officials and rescuers reported that 38,044 people have died in Turkey and 5,800 in Syria due to the earthquake on February 6, bringing the confirmed total to 41,732. Turkish rescue teams rescued a 17-year-old girl and a woman in her twenties from the rubble on Thursday, nearly 11 days after the quake, which registered 7.8 on the Richter scale. However, Turkey has halted rescue operations in some areas, and the Syrian government has done the same in regions under its control.
The recorded losses in Turkey make this earthquake one of the deadliest natural disasters in its modern history. In Syria, already plagued by a humanitarian crisis due to a war lasting more than 11 years, the death toll recorded so far stands at 5,800, a number that has seen little change in recent days. International relief agencies are intensifying efforts to assist millions left homeless, many of whom are sleeping in tents, mosques, schools, or their own cars.
On Thursday, the United Nations appealed to the world to gather over a billion dollars to aid the Turkish relief efforts, just two days after it called for 400 million dollars for Syrians. Martin Griffiths, the UN aid coordinator who visited Turkey last week, stated that citizens "are suffering unimaginable grief," adding, "We must stand with them in their darkest hours and ensure they receive the support they need."
Despite the discovery of some survivors in Turkey, reports of similar rescues have become scarce. Authorities in Turkey and Syria have not disclosed the number of those still missing.
However, anger is growing among families still awaiting the return of their missing loved ones, due to what they consider corrupt building practices and severely flawed urban development that resulted in the collapse of thousands of homes and businesses.
As excavation machines tear down what remains of an upscale housing unit in the southern city of Antakya, where her daughters lived, Seyvill Karabdeloglu said, "I had two daughters. I have nothing else. They are under the rubble." It is believed that around 650 people died when the Renaissance Residence building collapsed during the earthquake. Seyvill added, "We rented this place as a residence for the elite and a safe place. How do I know the contractor built it this way? Everyone is looking to make a profit. They are all guilty."
About 200 kilometers away, around 100 people gathered at a small cemetery in the town of Pazarcik to bury a young family including parents Ismail and Selin, and their two small daughters who died in the Renaissance Residence building that collapsed during the earthquake. Turkey has promised to investigate anyone suspected of responsibility for the building collapses and has ordered the detention of over 100 suspects, including developers.
