Hope fades for survivors as Turkey-Syria earthquake toll passes 20,000
(VOVWORLD) - Cold, hunger and despair gripped hundreds of thousands of people left homeless after the earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria three days ago as the death toll passed 20,000 on Thursday.
 Rescuers carry out a person from the rubble, as the search for survivors continues, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, in Hatay, Turkey, February 10, 2023. (Photo: Reuters) |
The death toll in Turkey rose to more than 17,000. In Syria, already devastated by nearly 12 years of civil war, more than 3,300 people have died, according to the government.
The first UN convoy carrying aid to stricken Syrians crossed over the border from Turkey.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pushed for more humanitarian access to northwestern Syria, saying he would be "very happy" if the United Nations could use more than one border crossing to deliver help.