• The earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria has caused thousands of homes to be destroyed.
• This is the most powerful earthquake in almost 100 years.
• It comes at the worst possible time for vulnerable children and families.

In places devastated by the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, thousands of homes have been demolished, according to UNICEF spokesperson James Elder at a press conference in Geneva on Tuesday.

“Thousands of homes have been destroyed, displacing families and exposing them to the elements at a time of year when temperatures regularly drop below freezing and snow and freezing rain are common,” Elder said. “Scores of schools, hospitals and other medical and educational facilities have been damaged or destroyed by the quakes.”

“This is the most powerful earthquake to hit the region in almost 100 years and came at the worst possible time for vulnerable children and families in the affected areas,” he added.

Elder also noted that Syrian refugee families living in impromptu settlements and displaced families in north-west Syria, who are simultaneously coping with a persistent cholera outbreak, heavy rain, and winter, are the most vulnerable.

“In this context, and one of more than a decade of conflict, this earthquake is utterly unbearable,” Elder said.

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