UN meals company chief tells of ‘apocalyptic’ scenes in quake-hit Turkey By Reuters

ROME (Reuters) – The pinnacle of the United Nation’s World Meals Programme (WFP) stated on Saturday he was confronted with “apocalyptic” scenes as he visited earthquake-stricken areas in southern Turkey.

Sturdy earthquakes, which started on Feb. 6, have struck each Turkey and neighbouring Syria, killing greater than 50,000 individuals based on the most recent figures launched on Friday.

“There is just one solution to describe what I noticed right now: apocalyptic,” WFP Government Director David Beasley stated after visiting the town of Antakya in Turkey’s Hatay province.

“Total neighborhoods have been flattened; properties destroyed, colleges and outlets closed; lives torn aside. The dimensions of devastation right here is really incomprehensible,” he stated.

The official added in a press release that the state of affairs on the Syrian facet amounted to a “disaster on high of a disaster,” referring to the previous 12 years of civil struggle.

The WFP stated Beasley visited a U.N. logistics hub the place vehicles are loaded with meals and different emergency provides earlier than crossing over into northwest Syria.

He pressured the urgency of scaling up meals deliveries to Syria “by all routes – with none restrictions”, and referred to as for “all events to facilitate entry”.

Northwest Syria, which is managed by opposition teams at struggle with President Bashar al-Assad and which has a inhabitants that was already depending on help for primary wants, was the world of the nation worst hit.

Growing help deliveries are linked to the opening of extra crossings from Turkey into rebel-held areas.

One in every of these, Bab al-Hawa, was already in use below U.N. Safety Council authorisation and Assad has given distinctive clearance for 2 others to be opened for 3 months.