SCIAF launches appeal to help Earthquake hit countries

The Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) has launched an emergency appeal to help those affected by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Syria and Turkey.

The tragedy has killed more than 5,000 people, with the number growing hourly. Thousands of buildings have been destroyed across much of southern Turkey and northern Syria, including homes, schools, hospitals and other vital infrastructure.

Trapped residents unreachable after earthquake amid freezing weather - latest updates

At least 5,100 people have died across both Turkey and Syria - with the World Health Organisation (WHO) saying fatalities could reach as high as 20,000 in the coming days.

The first 7.8 magnitude earthquake happened before dawn on Monday, when many people would have been sleeping.

And while rescuers have spent the night scouring rubble, bitterly cold weather could reduce the time they have to find survivors.

More than 7,800 people in Turkey have been rescued across 10 provinces so far - and crews from around the world have been making their way to the epicentre to help.

Countries around the world dispatched teams to assist in the rescue efforts, and Turkey's disaster management agency said more than 24,400 emergency personnel are now on the ground.

UK to send specialist teams to help in rescue effort

But with such a wide swath of territory hit by the quake and nearly 6,000 buildings confirmed to have collapsed in Turkey alone, their efforts are spread thin.

In Syria, the earthquake and subsequent tremors further weakened the foundations of buildings that have borne the brunt of shelling and airstrikes during a decade of unrest.

Alistair Dutton, Director of SCIAF, said: “It is heart breaking to see the scale of destruction caused by the earthquake and the level of suffering it has caused. Once again SCIAF’s local partners are responding as soon as the crisis happens. We have immediately released £20,000 for partners and are liaising closely with them to determine how best to help. Please support this response through SCIAF’s appeal.”

You can help SCIAF’s Syria-Türkiye Earthquake Appeal

Adelheid Marschang, WHO Senior Emergency Officer, said Turkey had a strong capacity to respond to the crisis but that the main unmet needs in the immediate and mid-term would be across the border in Syria, already grappling with a years-long humanitarian crisis due to the civil war and a cholera outbreak.

"This is a crisis on top of multiple crises in the affected region," she said at the organization's board meeting in Geneva.

"All over Syria, the needs are the highest after nearly 12 years of protracted, complex crisis, while humanitarian funding continues to decline."

She said that some 23 million people, including 1.4 million children, were likely to be exposed in both countries following the earthquake and its aftershocks.

Desperate scenes

Tens of thousands have been left homeless across Turkey and Syria - and spent last night in the cold.

About 20 miles away from the epicentre of the earthquake in Gaziantep, people took refuge in shopping centres, mosques, stadiums and community centres.

Around 380,000 survivors are currently being sheltered in government dormitories or hotels, according to Turkish vice president Fuat Oktay.

In a rebel-held enclave of Syria, four million people were already displaced before the powerful tremors struck - and many live in buildings wrecked by military bombardments.

A mound of concrete and steel roads lay where a multi-storey building once stood in Aleppo, with a thin young man expressing fears that 12 families could be trapped.

Erdogan declares seven days of national mourning

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has spoken to his US counterpart Joe Biden.

The president has also declared the 10 cities impacted by the quake a "disaster zone" and announced that they will remain in a state of emergency for three months.

The White House said Mr Biden underscored "the readiness of the United States to provide any and all needed assistance" to Turkey - a NATO ally.

Two, 79-person urban search and rescue teams have been deployed by Washington - and discussions are ongoing about other forms of relief, including health services.

Rescue workers from the UK, Czech Republic and Germany have also been making their way to the epicentre.

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