In response to the catastrophic earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria this morning, Aya Majzoub, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said:
“Amnesty International expresses its deepest condolences to the families who have lost loved ones in these devastating earthquakes. Hundreds of thousands of people have been affected in Turkey and Syria, but people living in areas already devastated by years of conflict face additional difficulties..
“Four million people in opposition-controlled north-west Syria are forced to live in appalling conditions, with little access to health care. This morning, entire buildings collapsed in neighborhoods already deteriorated by more than 10 years of war. The immense destruction, coupled with an acute economic crisis and a violent winter storm, is also hampering the distribution of humanitarian aid.
“The international community must immediately mobilize resources to support rescue and rehabilitation initiatives in northern Syria. The Syrian government must also allow aid to reach all earthquake-affected areas without restrictions. All parties, especially the Syrian government and Russian forces, must immediately stop attacks against civilian populations and structures and indiscriminate attacks in the region.”
Additional information
Two powerful earthquakes devastated large areas of Turkey and Syria this morning. According to the most recent reports, at least 2,200 people have been killed and thousands injured.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has claimed that the earthquakes have devastated regions of Syria where large numbers of internally displaced people and vulnerable families live.