UN says at least 50,000 killed in Turkey and Syria quakes

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria have killed at least 50,000 people with many more injured, tens of thousands still missing and hundreds of thousands homeless. That’s the latest figure from U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths. He told the U.N. Security Council Tuesday that three weeks after the magnitude 7.8 quake hit southern Turkey and northern Syria at least 44,000 people have been killed in Turkey and about 6,000 in Syria mainly in the rebel-held northwest. The U.N. says its flash appeal for $397.6 million to help Syrian quake victims is 42% funded and the $1 billion appeal for victims in Turkey is just 7.4% funded – and this only covers emergency needs for the next three months.