The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said Monday its emergency teams are ready to be deployed to the quake-hit regions in Türkiye and Syria.
"We are shocked by the devastating earthquake that hit Türkiye and Syria at the height of a harsh winter," UNOCHA said on Twitter.
It added that its "teams are assessing the damage with (UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination) UNDAC emergency response and search and rescue teams ready to deploy."
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi also said that the UNHCR stands in solidarity with the people of Türkiye and Syria and "are ready to help provide urgent relief to the survivors through our field teams wherever possible."
At least 1,498 people were killed and 8,533 others injured after a strong earthquake jolted southern Türkiye on Monday morning, according to the country's disaster agency.
So far, 13 EU countries have offered rescue teams to help Türkiye after the earthquake. Those countries included Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Malta, and Slovakia, according to the European Commission.
At least 476 people have been killed and hundreds injured in Syria from the quake, according to figures compiled by the Syrian regime's Health Ministry and Syrian Civil Defense.
Source: Anadolu Agency