Death toll in Turkey and Syria has surpassed 50,000

• The earthquakes killed 44,218 people in Turkey.
• While the latest confirmed death toll in Syria was 5,914.
• The first earthquake struck southeastern Turkey and northern Syria on February 6.

The number of people killed by the earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria earlier this month has now passed 50,000, according to the latest figures from both countries.

The earthquakes killed 44,218 people in Turkey alone, according to the country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), while the latest confirmed death toll in Syria was 5,914.

The first earthquake, which struck southeastern Turkey and northern Syria on February 6, had a magnitude of 7.7, while a second, which occurred a few days later, had a magnitude of 7.6. According to the AFAD, the region has been pounded by almost 9,000 aftershocks since.

Almost 240,000 rescue workers, including volunteers, are still working in Turkey’s 11 earthquake-affected provinces. Some of the quake-affected areas were originally impossible to access, but recovery efforts are ongoing, and casualty numbers are climbing as time goes on.

In recent days, there has been no news of survivors being rescued.

In Turkey alone, about 530,000 people have been evacuated from the disaster region, and the Turkish government has reported that 173,000 buildings have collapsed or been seriously damaged, with more than 1.9 million people seeking refuge in temporary shelters, hotels, and public facilities.

The quake has affected around 20 million people in Turkey, while the United Nations estimates 8.8 million people in Syria. Little information has emerged from Syria, where many people had already been living in precarious conditions as a result of years of civil war.

Many survivors have fled the affected areas of southern Turkey or have taken refuge in tents, container homes, and other government-sponsored shelters.

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