The United Nations on Thursday launched a $1 billion appeal to help 5.2 million survivors of the most devastating earthquake in Turkey’s modern history, two days after launching a $397 million appeal to help nearly 5 million. of Syrians to cross the border into the rebel-held northwest.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric was peppered with questions about why the appeal for Turkey is targeting only 5.2 million people when, according to the UN and the government, more than 15 million people were affected. He was also asked why the appeal for Turkey is two and a half times larger than for Syria to help almost the same number of people.
He said the Turkish appeal “was designed in very close cooperation with the government of Turkey, which is leading the relief efforts.”
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“This is the number they came up with to focus on the people who need humanitarian aid the most, most quickly and where the UN can be most effective,” Dujarric said. He said Turkey has “a very efficient search and rescue and humanitarian system.”
As for the disparity in the amount of appeals, he said, part of the reason is that “there is already a well-established humanitarian community that has been working in Syria,” and before the earthquake there was a $4.8 billion humanitarian appeal for Syria by 2023.
“So there is already a humanitarian source of money for Syria, which did not exist for Turkey,” he said.
Both appeals are for emergency funds for the next three months, and will be followed by new appeals for longer-term assistance.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the $1 billion appeal for Turkey, saying the money will allow aid groups to rapidly ramp up support for government-led relief efforts, including the provision of food. , protection, education, water and shelter for the survivors of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake. on February 6 that devastated southern Turkey and northwestern Syria.
“The needs are enormous, people are suffering and there is no time to lose,” Guterres said. “I urge the international community to step up and fully fund this critical effort in response to one of the greatest natural disasters of our time.”
He said that “Turkey is home to the largest number of refugees in the world and has shown enormous generosity to its Syrian neighbors for years,” so it is time for the world to stand with the Turkish people.
The United Nations has appealed for $1 billion in funding for Turkey earthquake survivors. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
More than 1.74 million refugees live in the 11 earthquake-affected Turkish provinces, according to the UN refugee agency.
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths, who visited both earthquake-ravaged countries last week, said: “The people of Turkey have experienced indescribable anguish.”
The quake struck at the height of winter, leaving hundreds of thousands of people, including young children and the elderly, without access to shelter, food, water, heat and medical care in sub-zero temperatures. Griffiths’ office said some 47,000 buildings have been destroyed or damaged.
“We must be with them in their darkest hour and make sure they get the support they need,” Griffiths said.
The United Nations has been criticized for the slow response to bring aid and heavy equipment into rebel-held northwestern Syria since the quake hit 10 days ago.
On Monday, following a visit to Damascus by Griffiths, Guterres announced that Syrian leader Bashar Assad had agreed to open two additional crossing points from Turkey to the northwest, at Bab Al-Salam and Al Raée, for an initial period of three months. .
The UN had only been allowed to deliver aid to the northwestern area of Idlib through a single crossing at Bab Al-Hawa, at the insistence of Syrian ally Russia.
Dujarric, the UN spokesman, said 22 trucks with food and other aid crossed Bab Al-Hawa on Monday and two trucks with tents crossed Bab Al-Salam on Thursday. No convoy had yet entered the northwest from Al Raée.
“As of February 14, according to the latest information we received, 8,900 buildings have been totally or partially destroyed in northwestern Syria, leaving 11,000 people homeless,” Dujarric said.
Shelter is the main immediate need in Syria, with food, cash assistance and supplies to deal with winter weather also being priorities, he said.
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Global humanitarian needs were already 25% higher this year than last year before the earthquake, and Dujarric said the UN is concerned about the growing number of people in need of aid.
“Our humanitarian system is on the edge,” he said.
Many people who need help are in areas ravaged by conflict and the impact of climate change, Dujarric said.
For the UN, he said, it is frustrating that “so many of these issues can be addressed beforehand” but are faced “with the consequences of ignoring climate change, of not putting enough effort into peace, into reconciliation, into social cohesion … at the door of the UN”.
Dujarric said the UN is working as fast as it can within international law and the UN Charter, “which sometimes forces the UN, unlike other aid agencies, to take into account and respect the political context.” .
“And if I were on the receiving end of the aid, I would feel like nothing is coming fast enough,” he said.
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“That said, we hope that member states will find the solidarity and generosity that is needed from the public and private sectors as well” to help earthquake survivors and millions of people in need, Dujarric said.
