ZTen days after the devastating earthquake in the Turkish-Syrian border area, Turkish rescue workers rescued two young women from the rubble. 17-year-old Aleyna Ölmez, whose surname means “the one who will not die” in Turkish, was recovered alive Thursday in the badly damaged town of Kahramanmaras, rescue workers said. According to the broadcaster NTV, rescuers found 20-year-old Neslihan Kilic there ten hours later. Meanwhile, the UN called for donations of over one billion euros for the earthquake victims in Turkey.
Miner Ali Akdogan, who was involved in the rescue of 17-year-old Aleyna, told AFP: “She appeared to be fine. She opened and closed her eyes.”
“We’ve been working here in this building for a week now,” Akdogan said. “We’re always happy when we find something alive — even a cat.”
The girl’s uncle hugged the rescuers one by one and tearfully said, “We will never forget her.” Shortly after rescuing the girl, Turkish soldiers turned away journalists and local residents because bodies were also being recovered from the rubble.
Ten hours later — 258 hours after the quake — rescuers encountered Neslihan Kilic, according to NTV. According to the broadcaster CNN Turk, more than 250 people died in the high-rise complex where the 20-year-old was rescued alive.
The 7.8 magnitude tremor shook the Turkish-Syrian border area on Monday last week. The confirmed death toll has since risen to 39,875, including 36,187 in Turkey and at least 3,688 in Syria. Turkey has already suspended rescue operations in some regions. Search and rescue operations are also no longer taking place in the areas of Syria that are under the control of the government in Damascus.
UNO: Fundraising goal of one billion euros
Meanwhile, the UN called for international aid of one billion dollars (around 936 million euros) for the earthquake victims in Turkey. This means that humanitarian aid can be provided for 5.2 million people for three months, said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. The funds would “enable aid agencies to scale up their vital support,” including with food, shelter, education and water.
The need is huge, people are suffering and there is “no time to lose,” Guterres warned. He called on the international community to increase its commitment in the face of “one of the worst natural disasters of our time” and to “fully finance” the aid.
The people of Turkey had “experienced unspeakable suffering,” stressed the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths in a statement of his own. “We have to stand by them in their darkest hour and make sure they get the support they need,” he said.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the UN is delivering hot meals, food, tents, warm winter clothing, blankets, mattresses, kitchen sets and medical supplies to the affected areas.
The United Nations had already launched a similar appeal for the earthquake victims in Syria in the amount of around 400 million dollars on Tuesday.
Red Cross: Humanitarian needs are increasing
The Red Cross also asked for additional donations. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said it now needs an estimated 650 million Swiss francs (657 million euros) to respond to mounting humanitarian needs in both countries.