In Turkey, at least six people were killed Monday as two powerful earthquakes shook the southern province of Hatay. The magnitude 6.3 and 5.8 quakes were felt across Turkey’s border region and into northern Syria, sparking panic among survivors of two even more massive quakes earlier this month, which killed more than 47,000 people in both countries — a toll that’s certain to rise in the days and weeks ahead. On Monday, Istanbul’s mayor warned that about 90,000 buildings are at risk of collapse if a massive earthquake were to strike Turkey’s largest city.
Meanwhile, a convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian aid crossed Turkey’s Bab al-Hawa border crossing into Syria on Monday, two days after the head of the World Food Programme criticized Syrian authorities for blocking access to the area. Aid workers say they are now contending with a shortage of tents for thousands of Syrians in need.
Louay Khalilo: “The United Nations and relief agencies have not reached us. In shelters, there are some 200 or 300 families, but we cannot secure tents for them. And if there are tents available, their prices have doubled.”