The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Catastrophic earthquake | 6,760 Syrian people dead since February 6

As more bodies have been recovered from rubble of buildings collapsed due to the violent earthquake, which hit Syria on February 6, as well as the death of people who had sustained serious injuries, death toll is on the rise.

According to SOHR statistics, the number of Syrian people killed due to the earthquake in Syria has reached 6,760. The fatalities are distributed as follows:

• 2,234 people in regime-controlled areas.

• 4,526 people in areas controlled by the “Salvation Government” and the “Syrian Interim Government.”

On the other hand, the bodies of 1,793 Syrian people, who were killed in Turkey due to the violent earthquake, were transported from Turkey and buried in Syrian territory. Those bodies were transported to Syria via border crossings, and they are distributed as follows:

• 1,570 bodies were transported through Bab Al-Hawa crossing.

• 166 bodies were transported through Bab Al-Salama crossing.

• 22 bodies were transported through Al-Ra’i crossing.

• 20 bodies were transported through Jarabulus crossing.

• 15 bodies were transported through Al-Hamam crossing in Jendires countryside.

Accordingly, the number of Syrians, who were killed due to earthquake in Syria and Turkey and buried in Syrian territory, has increased to 8,553.

SOHR activists have confirmed that thousands of Syrians refugees from Damascus, Latakia, Jabal Al-Turkman and Aleppo were buried in Turkey, as their relatives could not transport their bodies to their hometowns. Moreover, many victims were buried before having been registered, while others died in hospitals. In addition, 14,500 other Syrians have sustained various injuries, some seriously.

In light of the ongoing earthquakes and aftershocks in Syria, Syrian people are in need of physical and psychological support, so that they can cope with disorders they have been suffering from because of stress caused by the devastating earthquake.

It is worth noting that over 123 residential complexes, villages, towns and cities across Syria, including 52 villages and towns in regime-controlled areas in south Aleppo countryside, east Idlib countryside and north Hama countryside, sustained considerable damage by the earthquake. Meanwhile, the hundreds of fatalities remained under rubble in these areas for a while, before they were buried by residents, as rescue teams have failed to reach several areas.

Tents scattered in squares, streets and farmlands

Over 100,000 Syrian families have become homeless due to the earthquake which hit large spaces of Syrian territory, of whom nearly 27,000 families are in areas controlled by the “Salvation Government” and the “Syrian Interim Government” in north-west Syria.

Those families have set tents to stay in roads and squares near their houses and on farmlands.

It is worth noting that over 16,800 Syrian refugees, including nearly 10,000 civilians with the temporary protection card ”Kimlik,” have returned from Turkey under the unpaid leaves granted by Turkish authorities to Syrian refugees in Turkey; this has exacerbated the situation in disaster-stricken areas in north-west Syria further.

It is also worth noting that over 137 schools sustained partial damage, while tens of schools in Idlib, Aleppo, Latakia and Hama provinces have been turned into temporary resettlement centres. All those school have been put out of service since February 6.

Among the schools sustained partial damage due to the earthquake 27 are in areas controlled by the “Salvation Government” and the “Syrian Interim Government” in north-west Syria and 95 others in regime-controlled areas, including 25 schools in Hama province.

Similarly, power plants, water stations, hospitals and service institutions sustained considerable damage.

In the meantime, humanitarian assistance, including urgent relief supplies, blankets, winter cloths, food, drinking water and detergents, has been sent by Arab and international countries, organisations tribes and residents to disaster-stricken areas in Syria.