ISTANBUL

The scale of the devastation from major earthquakes earlier this month in southern Türkiye is historically “massive,” said the head of the World Health Organization on Tuesday.

Speaking in the Turkish quake region, Tedros Ghebreyesus said: “We have driven today from Gaziantep until Antakya here, and the level of the destruction we have observed … is really, really massive.”

At a joint press conference with Turkish Heath Minister Fahrettin Koca, he added, referring to the toll of dead and injured: “This is massive in modern history.”

Adding that he and Koca discussed some challenges in camps of survivors they saw, including mental health issues, Tedros said: “From the WHO side, we will support in any way possible based on the issues observed or documented and based on the priorities of the ministry.”

“I urge the international community to support as per the pledge it has made recently through the UN flash appeal,” he said, stressing that Türkiye is doing its best on the ground but needs support.

For his part, Koca said they are trying to heal the wounds from the quake as soon as possible.

"I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all friendly and brotherly countries, international organizations and non-governmental organizations who supported us in the process," he added.

‘Heartbreaking to see this level of destruction’

Earlier, Ghebreyesus visited field hospitals and tent cities in the earthquake zone in Türkiye and spoke with officials on the ground.

He visited the Gaziantep province on Monday and Hatay on Tuesday to show his solidarity with quake victims.

“Major health needs are injury management, respiratory infections and psychological support,” he tweeted, adding, that he was impressed by close collaboration with the National Medical Rescue Team.

Sharing a video showing Esra Pacaci, a coordinator at Turkiye’s Health Ministry, telling him about the situation in the region, he said: “The mental health and psychosocial needs in the community, esp. for children, require ongoing support… Tesekkürler (‘Thank you’ in Turkish) to all specialists from across the country who are working together amid this severe crisis.”

With images he took in the region, Tedros said: “heartbreaking to see this level of destruction.”

Türkiye is dealing with the aftermath of the devastating Feb. 6 quakes that have claimed more than 44,300 lives in the country’s southern region.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes, centered in Kahramanmaras, have impacted some 13 million people across 11 provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Elazig, and Sanliurfa.