UN continues to provide quake-related aid to Turkey, Syria

United Nations: The UN its partners continue to provide aid to Turkey and Syria in the aftermath of the devastating February 6 earthquakes that killed more than 57,300 people in the two neighbouring nations, said the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

To date, UN agencies and humanitarian partners have reached nearly 535,000 people with shelter support and approximately 1.4 million people have received water, sanitation and hygiene support, and about 47,000 people have been provided with health services, Xinhua news agency quoted the OCHA as saying.

The International Organization for Migration estimates that 3 million people were displaced by the earthquakes in Turkey.

About 1.7 million people are living in informal settlements, some of which lack proper water and sanitation services.

There are more than 345 organisations on the ground distributing hot meals to about 1.25 million people every day, said the OCHA.

"More funding is urgently needed to help more than 5 million people affected by the earthquakes in Turkey," the Office said, adding that as of Friday, the flash appeal was about 20 per cent funded.

In Syria, OCHA and its humanitarian partners continue to scale up their response in earthquake-affected areas across the country.

To date, 1,035 trucks carrying humanitarian aid from seven UN agencies have crossed into northwest Syria from Turkey, via the three available border crossings, it added.

"Our humanitarian partners in Al-Hassakeh and Ar-Raqqa governorates say flooding has damaged the tents of 270 families in collective shelters and informal settlements.

"At least 100 other families were also affected by the recent rains, with some having to temporarily relocate," said the Office.

Affected families are receiving emergency ready-to-eat rations, mobile medical services, and other items from UN humanitarian partners, it added.