The quantity is ready to extend because the magnitude of the catastrophe turns into clearer, he mentioned, talking throughout a press convention from the Syrian capital, Damascus.
Newest stories put the demise toll at greater than 33,000, based on worldwide media, with hundreds of thousands extra left homeless.
Ramping up operations
Tedros additionally reported that the Syrian authorities seem open to permitting extra border crossings to ship humanitarian assist into the northwest.
Battle-ravaged Syria is split into areas below the management of the Authorities, opposition forces and armed teams.
WHO is working throughout all areas affected by the earthquake, which struck on Monday.
The UN company can also be scaling up operations throughout the nation, together with within the northwest, the place the affect is even worse.
Greater than 4,300 deaths and seven,600 accidents have been reported there, based on the UN humanitarian affairs workplace, OCHA .
Previous to the earthquake, 4.1 million folks had been already relying on humanitarian assist, and wishes had been at an all-time excessive.
Current developments welcomed
Tedros confused the necessity to take response “to the subsequent degree” to succeed in all populations who require assist.
He welcomed the choice by the US to ease sanctions towards Syria within the wake of the tragedy.
“We equally respect the current blanket approval by the Authorities of the Syrian Arab Republic for the UN for cross-line convoys, in addition to measures to extend cross-border entry. We hope this continues,” he mentioned.
The WHO chief reported that he had met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad earlier on Sunday afternoon “who indicated he was open to contemplating further cross-border entry factors for this emergency.”
Prepared to maneuver
Tedros mentioned he’s ready to maneuver throughout battle strains to northwest Syria.
“We’re on stand-by really,” he instructed journalists. “We will transfer anytime now by the shoreline to the northwest. Based mostly on the blanket allow, we’ve already permission from this facet. We’re ready now to listen to from the opposite facet. As quickly as we get that we are going to cross to the northwest.”
After the earthquake struck, WHO instantly accessed its pre-positioned provides within the northwest and Aleppo, thus making remedy of main accidents attainable. Employees additionally started distributing provides to well being amenities.
WHO
WHO is sending medical provides to Syria to spice up the humanitarian response.
Responding to wants
Tedros arrived in Syria on Saturday, the place WHO and companions have up to now distributed 110 tonnes of medical provides to affected areas throughout the nation.
A flight is scheduled to reach in Damascus on Sunday evening with very important specialised emergency well being provides for frontline employees.
The UN company is also supporting surge capability of frontline specialised medical groups.
Cascading crises
The earthquake is the newest disaster to hit Syria, following the continued battle, the COVID-19 pandemic, cholera outbreaks, and financial decline.
Twelve years of conflict have “pulverized” the healthcare system, mentioned Dr. Michael Ryan, WHO Emergencies Director. Previous to the earthquake, simply 50 per cent of well being amenities had been functioning, however the true affect is way higher.
“Not solely bodily injury to the infrastructure itself however the exodus of well being employees, the lack of salaries, lack of coaching,” he mentioned. “It is simply that demise by a thousand cuts to the system.”
‘An unfolding tragedy’
The WHO chief expressed deep respect and admiration for the survivors, first responders and well being employees, although pointing to the immense wants they face.
Nationwide and worldwide organizations, but additionally neighbours, mosques, church buildings and group teams, have been racing to ship the whole lot from meals, clear water and medical care, to a secure area for folks to sleep.
Tedros was in Aleppo on Saturday and visited a WHO-supported cellular well being clinic distributing medicines to folks with circumstances resembling complications, nervousness and problem sleeping
“WHO and different organizations have skilled group employees to supply fast psychological well being assist, however way more is required,” he mentioned.
Whereas within the metropolis, Tedros met a younger woman known as Nour, who misplaced her dad and mom and suffered a damaged arm when their six-storey condominium constructing collapsed, noting that she “is only one instance of an unfolding tragedy that has effects on hundreds of thousands”.
UN Information
UN Emergency Aid Coordinator Martin Griffiths visits the Turkish facet of Bab Al-Hawa, the only remaining border-crossing approved by the Safety Council for UN assist supply to north-west Syria
Cross-border assist
The UN’s prime humanitarian official continues his mission within the area, OCHA reported on Sunday.
Emergency Aid Coordinator Martin Griffiths travelled to the Turkish facet of Baba Al-Hawa, the one remaining border crossing for UN assist supply into northwest Syria approved by the Safety Council.
Mr. Griffiths additionally visited a UN hub in Hatay, the place he witnessed the transshipment and monitoring of 10 vans loaded with assist offered by the Worldwide Group for Migration (IOM) previous to setting off to Syria.
This was the fourth UN cross-border assist convoy for the reason that earthquake struck northern Türkiye on Monday, affecting folks on each side of the border.
The primary convoy, with six vans, crossed into Syria on Thursday following a three-day non permanent disruption from broken key roads.
A second convoy of 14 IOM vans crossed on Friday, adopted by a 3rd the subsequent day comprised of twenty-two vans containing medicines, cholera take a look at kits, blankets, hygiene kits photo voltaic lamps and different aid objects.
OCHA mentioned aftershocks are reportedly persevering with in northwest Syria, forcing folks to maintain fleeing their houses.
Civil protection groups concluded search and rescue operations on Saturday and have moved onto eradicating particles and recovering our bodies, nonetheless efforts are being hampered by gasoline shortages and a scarcity of equipment and automobiles.
‘Put politics apart’: UN Envoy
In the meantime, the UN Particular Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, arrived in Damascus on Sunday on a pre-planned go to.
He affirmed that humanitarians will do all they will to entry everybody who wants assist, and underlined his efforts to rally assist.
“We’re reaching out after all to bilateral international locations, we’re mobilizing funding and we’re attempting to inform everybody put politics apart. It is a time to unite behind a standard effort to assist the Syrian folks,” he mentioned.
Mr. Pedersen additionally confused the necessity for crossline and cross-border entry. “I am in shut contact with the UN humanitarian household, we’re working collectively to attempt to mobilize this assist and that after all is my key message throughout this go to to Syria.”