Warnings of a further aggravation of the situation... Jenderes declared in Afrin a "disaster" area

ARK News… The consequences of the earthquake that hit southern Turkey and northern Syria, at dawn on Monday, still reflect the magnitude of the tragedy suffered by those affected, especially in the northwestern regions of Syria, under bad conditions that make it difficult to deliver aid to the needy and to rescue the stranded.

Several international bodies have warned of the worsening situation in that region, more than 50 hours after the earthquake occurred, while entire families are still under the rubble, amid a shortage of rescue equipment and poor emergency capabilities.

Meanwhile, search and rescue operations continue in the center of the city of Jenderes in Afrin countryside in western Kurdistan (Syrian Kurdistan) for the third day in a row, as large numbers of victims of Monday's devastating earthquake are still under the rubble, while the "local council" of the city announced that Jenderes is a "stricken" area. And that more than 675 people were killed, in addition to the displacement of tens of thousands.

In this regard, media activist Rohat Muhammad told (BasNews): "The search operations are continuing with simple mechanisms by the civil defense and civilian volunteers, as dozens of families are still under the rubble."

He added, "Hundreds of citizens died as a result of the devastating earthquake in Jenderes, Afrin, and they were Kurds and displaced to the region."

In turn, the council in the city of Jenderes declared, today, Wednesday, February 8, that the city was "stricken" following the earthquake that struck the region.

"The city of Jenderes is a disaster-stricken city that needs help after the destruction of more than 257 buildings, the loss of more than 675 people, and the displacement of tens of thousands," the council said in a statement, seen by (BasNews).

The Syrian Civil Defense announced, on Wednesday, February 8, that "the death toll from earthquakes in northwestern Syria has risen to 1,280."

"The death toll from the earthquake in northwestern Syria has risen to more than 1,280 deaths and more than 2,600 injured," the Civil Defense said in a statement posted on its official account.

It explained, "The number is expected to rise significantly due to the presence of hundreds of families under the rubble, and that the teams are continuing search and rescue operations amid very difficult circumstances, more than 50 hours after the earthquake."

Since the earthquake occurred, at dawn on Monday, international cross-border aid to the areas of northwestern Syria, which was affected by the earthquake, and which was reaching those areas through the Bab al-Hawa crossing according to the Security Council resolution, has stopped.

Reuters quoted a spokesman for the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs as saying that the cross-border aid movement from Turkey to Syria is still suspended due to logistical issues, and it is not clear when it will resume.

"Some roads are broken and others are inaccessible. There are logistical problems that need to be resolved," UN spokeswoman Madivi Soon Suwon told Reuters on Tuesday. "We don't have a clear picture of when the resumption will take place."

Meanwhile, a UN spokesperson stated that the transfer of urgent aid provided by the United Nations to northwestern Syria via Turkey had been "temporarily" suspended, due to the damage caused by the earthquake to the infrastructure in both countries.
Source: BasNews

273