# Turkey clears away rubble from earthquake, rescue efforts wind down
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2023-02-20
Category: NEWS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news
Meta Title: Turkey Earthquake Relief Efforts: Updates on Rescue and
Meta Description: Turkey continues to clear rubble from collapsed buildings as rescue operations wind down after earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Thousands in need of aid.
URL: https://financedigest.com/turkey-clears-away-rubble-from-earthquake-rescue-efforts-wind-downhtml

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By Henriette Chacar and Ali Kucukgocmen

ANTAKYA, Turkey (Reuters) – Turkey stepped up work to clear away rubble from collapsed buildings on Monday, as rescue work wound down two weeks after major earthquakes killed more than 46,000 people in southern Turkey and northwest Syria.

Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said that nearly 13,000 excavators, cranes, trucks and other industrial vehicles had been sent to the quake zone.

The death toll in Turkey had risen to 41,020, the AFAD said, and it was expected to climb, with some 385,000 apartments in the country known to have been destroyed or seriously damaged and many people still missing.

Among the survivors of the Feb. 6 [earthquakes in Turkey](https://www.financedigest.com/eus-eib-to-override-turkey-lending-ban-with-earthquake-aid.html "EU’s EIB to override Turkey lending ban with earthquake aid") and Syria are about 356,000 pregnant women who urgently need access to reproductive health services, the U.N. sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA) said at the weekend.

The [women include](https://www.financedigest.com/3-ways-to-safeguard-and-include-women-in-construction.html "3 ways to safeguard and include women in construction") 226,000 in Turkey and 130,000 in Syria, about 38,800 of whom will deliver in the next month.

FREEZING TEMPERATURES

It said many of the women are sheltering in camps or are living exposed to freezing temperatures, and struggling to get food or clean water, [putting their health at risk](https://www.financedigest.com/four-corporate-email-oversights-that-put-your-organization-at-risk.html "Four Corporate Email Oversights That Put Your Organization at Risk").

Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said a convoy of 14 of its trucks had entered northwestern [Syria on Sunday to assist in earthquake](https://www.financedigest.com/britain-boosts-aid-for-syria-turkey-after-earthquakes.html "Britain boosts aid for Syria, Turkey after earthquakes") rescue operations, as concerns grow over lack of access to the war-ravaged area.

The [World Food](https://www.financedigest.com/world-food-prices-hit-record-high-in-2022.html "World food prices hit record high in 2022") Programme (WFP) has been pressuring authorities in that region of Syria to stop blocking access as it seeks to help hundreds of thousands of people in the wake of the earthquakes.

In Syria, already shattered by more than a decade of civil war, the bulk of fatalities have been in the northwest. The area is controlled by insurgents at war with forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, which has complicated efforts to get aid to people.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday announced further [aid](https://www.financedigest.com/wizz-air-loses-fight-against-67-million-in-state-aid-for-romanian-rival.html "Wizz Air loses fight against  million in state aid for Romanian rival") to Turkey and said the United States would provide longer term help to Turkey Ankara as it seeks to rebuild following this month’s earthquake.

Blinken arrived at Turkey’s Incirlik Air Force Base on Sunday for an [official visit](https://www.financedigest.com/hong-kong-finance-official-to-make-first-visit-to-britain-in-three-years.html "Hong Kong finance official to make first visit to Britain in three years") and discussions on how Washington can further assist.

Two weeks after the disaster struck, search and rescue operations are coming to an end, but Blinken said the United States would continue to help what he said would be “a long-term effort”.

“When you see the extent of the damage, the number of buildings, the number of apartments, the number of homes that have been destroyed, it is going to take a massive effort to rebuild but we are committed to supporting Turkey in that effort,” he said.

(Reporting by Henriette Chacar and Ali Kucukgocmen; Writing by Michael Georgy)


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