UN food agency chief describes ‘apocalyptic’ scene in earthquake-hit Turkey

ROME: The head of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) said on Saturday (Feb 25) that he was confronted with “apocalyptic” sights when visiting earthquake-affected areas in southern Turkey.

Strong quakes that began on February 6 have hit both Turkey and neighboring Syria, killing more than 50,000 people, according to the latest figures released on Friday.

“There is only one way to describe what I saw today, apocalyptic,” said WFP Executive Director David Beasley after visiting Antakya, Hatay Province, Turkey.

“Entire neighborhoods have been leveled. Homes have been destroyed, schools and shops closed. Lives have been torn apart. The scale of devastation here is truly incomprehensible,” he said.

The official added in a statement that the situation on the Syrian side amounted to “a catastrophe upon catastrophe”, referring to the civil war of the past 12 years.

WFP said Beasley visited a UN logistics hub before trucks carrying food and other emergency supplies crossed into northwestern Syria.

He stressed the urgency to expand food deliveries to Syria “through all routes without restrictions” and called for “facilitating access for all parties”.

Controlled by opposition groups in the war against President Bashar al-Assad, northwestern Syria, with a population already dependent on aid for basic needs, was the worst-hit region of the country.

The increase in relief shipments is related to the opening of additional borders from Turkey to rebel-held areas.

One of these, Bab al-Hawa, is already in use under UN Security Council approval, and Assad has given exceptional permission to keep the other two open for three months. I was.