The United Nations (UN) has launched an appeal for 1 billion dollars in aid to help the victims of the catastrophic earthquakes that struck Turkey on Monday, February 6, killing thousands of people.
The international organization said in a statement that the money would provide three months of humanitarian relief to 5.2 million people, allowing aid organizations to “rapidly scale up vital support.”
“Turkey is the country that hosts the largest number of refugees in the world, and it has been generous with its Syrian neighbors for years,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Guterres added that the time has come to support the Turkish people, who stand in solidarity with all those in the world who are asking for help.
He continued, “I call on the international community to provide full support for this initiative to confront the largest natural disaster of our time.”
The death toll from the devastating earthquakes that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria at dawn on February 6 exceeded 41,000 people, with hopes waning to find survivors 10 days after the disaster.
