Syria Urges UN Chief To Mobilize All Efforts To Help Earthquake Response

Syria Urges UN Chief to Mobilize All Efforts to Help Earthquake Response

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 07th February, 2023) Syria has appealed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to mobilize all resources available to help the war-stricken country respond to the deadly earthquake, Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations Bassam Sabbagh said on Monday.

"I just concluded my meeting with his excellency Secretary-General of the United Nations, his excellency Antonio Guterres ... We are requesting him to mobilize all UN efforts in helping Syria after this devastating situation caused by the earthquake hit the Syrian Arab Republic earlier this morning," he told journalists.

Guterres assured the Syrian mission to the UN that he will do whatever he can to help, the ambassador said. Earlier in the day, Syria made an appeal to the UN Secretariat, all UN members and its international partners, including the ICRC, to help the rescue efforts.

The United Nations said estimating flash appeals to raise funds will take several days.

Early on Monday, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck southeastern Turkey and northern Syria. The death toll has topped 1,700 in Turkey and 600 in Syria, with thousands of others injured. These numbers are expected to rise.