UNESCO fears damage to Syrian, Turkish heritage after deadly earthquakes

The UNESCO has expressed concerns over damage to Syrian and Turkish heritage sites, and vowed support for the two earthquake-devastated countries

Unesco, UNESCO
Unesco
IANS Paris
2 min read Last Updated : Feb 08 2023 | 7:32 AM IST

The UNESCO has expressed concerns over damage to Syrian and Turkish heritage sites, and vowed support for the two earthquake-devastated countries.

Following an initial survey of damage to heritage carried out alongside national authorities, UNESCO said on Tuesday: "In Syria, UNESCO is particularly concerned about the situation in the ancient city of Aleppo, which is on the List of World Heritage in Danger."

Significant damage had been noted in the citadel, UNESCO added. The western tower of the old city wall had collapsed, and several buildings in the souks had been weakened.

Meanwhile, in Turkey, several buildings in the city of Diyarbakir have collapsed. The city is home to the World Heritage site "Diyarbakir Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape", an important centre for the Roman, Sassanid, Byzantine, Islamic and Ottoman periods.

UNESCO's experts, with the cooperation of national authorities, are trying to establish a precise inventory of the damage to sites on the World Heritage List, Xinhua news agency reported.

"My condolences go out to the families and loved ones of those who died. My thoughts are also with the injured and all those affected. Our organisation will provide assistance within its mandate," said Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO's Director-General.

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Turkey's southern province of Kahramanmaras at 4:17 a.m. local time on Monday, followed by a magnitude 6.4 quake a few minutes later in the country's southern province of Gaziantep, and a magnitude 7.6 earthquake at 1:24 p.m. local time in Kahramanmaras.

The death toll in Turkey climbed to 5,434 on Tuesday, while the number of people injured rose to 31,777, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.

According to figures released by the Syrian Health Ministry on Tuesday, 812 people were killed and 1,449 others injured in Hama, Aleppo, Latakia, and Tartous provinces, and the rebel-held area in Idlib province.

A Chinese rescue team departed from Beijing for Turkey on a chartered plane on Tuesday afternoon, to join earthquake relief efforts in the country.

--IANS

int/khz/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Quarterly Starter

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

Save 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online

  • Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

Topics :UNESCOSyriaTurkeyEarthquake

First Published: Feb 08 2023 | 7:32 AM IST

Next Story