United Nations Human Settlements Programme (U.N.-Habitat) Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif recently visited Gaziantep, one of the cities hit by the twin earthquakes on Feb. 6, to offer his sympathies to the quake survivors, expressing that she has never encountered such a massive natural disaster before.
Accompanied by first lady Emine Erdoğan and Family and Social Services Minister Derya Yanık, Sharif said she was deeply saddened by the suffering he witnessed but admired authorities for the work done for the disaster victims' families.
During his visit to the region affected by the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes, she stated, "I have seen disasters like Hurricane Idai in Mozambique, tsunamis and earthquakes in several other parts of the world, but this natural disaster caused the most devastation among them all."
Speaking to an AA correspondent about the disaster, Sharif said, "Our organization has been evaluating the possible assistance for the quake victims since the first day, and our organization will continue supporting Türkiye. From the recycling of debris to all sorts of humanitarian assistance, our teams will remain active 24/7 until the rebuilding process is complete."
Sharif also stated that many U.N.-affiliated institutions are currently continuing to work in the field. Regarding the tsunami disaster in Malaysia, she said, "After damage assessment and mapping, they implemented a reconstruction plan for the destroyed areas, and similar work will be carried out in Türkiye."
The U.N.-Habitat program aims to exchange information on the U.N.'s sustainable human settlements and provide technical assistance and financial support to countries in solving the problems encountered in cities.
