UN chief saddened by extensive death toll in Türkiye, Syria following strong earthquakes

UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday expressed his profound sadness over the extensive loss of life caused by strong earthquakes in southern Türkiye and northern Syria.

"I was deeply saddened to hear of the extensive loss of life caused by the earthquake which affected southern Türkiye and northern Syria earlier today," said a statement released by the spokesman for the secretary-general.

More than 1,600 people were killed and thousands of others were injured after strong earthquakes jolted parts of Türkiye and northwest of Syria early Monday.

"My heart goes out to the people of Türkiye and Syria in this hour of tragedy. I send my deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to the injured," said the top UN official.

Guterres underscored the United Nations' full commitment to supporting the response, adding that UN teams are on the ground assessing the needs and providing assistance.

"We count on the international community to help the thousands of families hit by this disaster, many of whom were already in dire need of humanitarian aid in areas where access is a challenge," he added.