Erdem Sahin/EPA
A rubble line of 100 km2 that corresponds to the area of the city of Lisbon. That’s the amount of rubble left behind by earthquakes in Turkey.
The calculation was made by the United Nations Development Program, UNDP, after the February 6 earthquake in the country that also hit Syria.
The earthquakes in the region lasted until the last 20 days.
Debris clearance is necessary to allow for the delivery of food, water and other supplies, as well as the resumption of social and economic activities in the country. At least 1.5 million people were affected by the aftermath of the disaster.
It is estimated that the weight of the rubble left behind by the earthquakes in Turkey reaches that 116 to 210 million tons.
The “almost unimaginable” challenge is to clear a 10km x 10km area covered by Debris piled up to a meter high.
In recent days, Turkey approved the passage of 335 trucks to Syria, a neighboring country also hit by the earthquakes.
This Saturday, UNDP and other partners will begin removing more than 10 million tons of rubble in Aleppo, Syria, where the UN agency estimates it will be necessary to build 500 new homes, costing US$114 million. dollars could reach.
At this moment, thousands of people are sleeping outdoors or in collective shelters in a severe winter.
Country experts have checked so far over a million buildings. The report indicates damage total destruction of 156,000 of these buildings. Those that did not fall victim to the earthquake have to be demolished for safety reasons.
During the week, United Nations organizations sent dozens of trucks food for the victims Earthquakes, both in Turkey and in Syria.
A total of 53 vehicles crossed Turkish territory into northwestern Syria with donations from the World Food Program (WFP), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN refugee agency UNHCR.
The broadcasts have Food, shelter, hygiene items and other important things for thousands of people.
The PMA provided Food aid for 900,000 people. Only 4% of the UN Humanitarian Appeal for Turkey has been received so far.