At the end of a five-day visit to the regions of Syria and Turkey devastated by the earthquake of 6 February, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, sounded the alarm, on Monday 13 March, about the humanitarian needs of “millions of people”, affected, injured or displaced.
“The level of destruction and devastation is shocking and, in many places, it is apocalyptic. The needs on the ground in both countries are enormous and the response must be better resourced”, he said ahead of the international donors’ conference organised by the EU to be held in Brussels on 20 March (see EUROPE 13139/4).
The UN has requested $1 billion for the humanitarian response in Turkey and almost $400 million for Syria. The UNHCR’s share of the response plans amounts to $201 million. The UN appeal for Turkey is currently 12% funded and that for Syria is at 59%.
Mr Grandi discussed the immediate humanitarian response with the authorities of both countries. In addition to Ankara, Mr Grandi visited Hatay and Gaziantep in Turkey. In Syria, he visited Latakia, Hama and Damascus, and made a cross-border visit to earthquake victims and other displaced people in the north-west of the country. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)