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February 15, 2023

U.N. Aid Trucks Enter Earthquake-Stricken NW Syria as Combined Death Toll with Turkey Tops 41,000
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A convoy of U.N. aid trucks passed through a newly reopened border
crossing into northwestern Syria Tuesday, where some earthquake
survivors have been waiting for help for over a week.

In Turkey, nine survivors were pulled from the wreckage Tuesday as the
death toll from last Monday's 7.8-magnitude earthquake and aftershocks
topped 41,000 across Turkey and Syria.

The World Health Organization warned of the risk of waterborne diseases
amid the massive destruction and displacement in both countries. Medical
workers also report many patients with mental health concerns, including
PTSD. This is Diana Fattal, a UNICEF worker in Syria.

Diana Fattal: "Thousands of children faced on the 6th of February a
crisis within a crisis, where they continue to face complex situation of
displacement, of fear and extreme cold weather. As you see, that this
collective shelter, that used to be a school, is now accommodating
families that lost houses and loved ones."