The devastating earthquake that has left more than 24,000 people dead and displaced millions in Turkey and Syria has been described as the "worst event in 100 years in this region" by the UN's aid chief. Martin Griffiths is visiting the Turkish province of Kahramanmaras Saturday, which is close to the quake's epicenter in the south-east of the country. Speaking during a news briefing, Griffiths said the scale of the disaster — and the response to it — was unprecedented. "What happened here on Monday...was the worst event in a hundred years in this region," he told reporters. "The response as you have seen here... is also unique. There has never been an international response, a Turkish response, to a natural disaster as we've seen in these terrible days." He also told Reuters news agency that he hoped aid for Syria would go to both government and opposition-held areas, but added that the situation was "not clear yet". Meanwhile, the UK's aid effort to held survivors of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria has reached more £52.8 million ($63.7m) in two days. The appeal by a collection of aid agencies was launched by the Disasters Emergency Committee and broadcast on television on Thursday evening. The donations include £5 million from the government, with the rest coming from the British public. The British Red Cross, Oxfam and ActionAid are among the charities to have joined together to raise money for the many injured and homeless, whose lives have been devastated by the natural disaster. "We're incredibly grateful to the British public for their hugely generous response to this horrific disaster," said DEC Chief Executive Saleh Saeed. "Compassion comes in many forms, but we are urging people to donate money rather than things. "What people in Turkey and Syria need today may not be what they need tomorrow and giving cash means that DEC charities can get help to people quickly and provide a wide range of support over a longer period of time." Also, New Delhi reported that the sixth plane from India carrying rescue personnel, essentials, and medical equipment for earthquake relief efforts has reached Turkey. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said, "The sixth flight carries more rescue teams, dog squads, and essential medicines for the quake-hit country. The Operation Dost flight reaches Turkiye with more search and rescue teams, dog squads, essential search & access equipment, medicines and medical equipment ready for deployment in the relief efforts." Turkey's Ambassador to India Firat Sunel has described Operation Dost as a "very important operation" and demonstrated the friendship between the two nations. Sunel made the remarks at the Hindon Airbase in Ghaziabad from where Indian Air Force's C17 Globemaster aircraft with the NDRF team, medical equipment, relief equipment, took off for Turkey, as part of the ongoing Operation Dost. Speaking to ANI, Sunel said, "Operation Dost is a very important operation. And this is the operation of friendship because Dost is the word in Hindi and Turkish which means friends. "And this operation shows our friendship between India and Turkey and friends always help each other." Operation Dost was launched to provide necessary support in terms of search and rescue (SAR) efforts as well as medical assistance. This has involved a whole-of-government approach with coordination among various agencies. — BBC/ANI
