Since last Tuesday, the Dutch have donated 24,731,078 euros to Giro555, for the victims of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. A spokesperson for the fundraising campaign confirmed this on Monday. The aid organizations behind Giro555, including Unicef, Oxfam Novib and the Red Cross, spend the money in the disaster area on food, clean water, blankets and clothing.
“Much more is needed,” says Giro555 action chairman Michiel Servaes. “Most people still sleep outside and therefore quickly need shelter, sanitary facilities, care and ultimately perspective again. Aid organizations are therefore preparing for a huge operation.” An intermediate score was also announced on Saturday, when more than 16 million euros had already been collected.
The death toll from the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria rose to nearly 36,000 on Monday. In Turkey, 31,643 victims have been reported so far, in Syria there are 4,300. On Sunday, a United Nations emergency coordinator said the death toll was likely to double from the then 28,000. The rescue operation “is coming to an end,” the same coordinator said on Monday, writes Reuters news agency. Fewer and fewer people are being pulled out alive from under the rubble.
This article is also part of our live blog: US calls for access to Syrian rebel territory