WFP chief describes ‘apocalyptic’ post-quake landscape in Syria, Türkiye

The head of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) concluded a visit on Saturday to devastated Syrian and Turkish communities and aid supply routes, calling on authorities to open more border crossings to help survivors of the earthquakes that hit both countries in early February.

While the world has quickly mobilized in support of people here, the impact of this quake will be felt for months and years to come,” said WFP Executive Director David Beasley.

During a visit to the Hatay region in southern Türkiye, he described “incomprehensible” devastation and an “apocalyptic” landscape.

With some 18 million people affected across southern Türkiye and northwest Syria, tens of thousands of lives have been lost, and millions upon millions of people have lost their homes, livelihoods, and assets, he said.

‘Apocalyptic’ conditions

Visiting several affected communities, he said that Antakya, which suffered significant deaths and massive destruction, is now “almost a ghost town”, with homes, schools, shops and critical infrastructure damaged and destroyed.

“There is only one way to describe what I saw today: apocalyptic,” he said. “Entire neighborhoods have been flattened, homes destroyed, schools and shops closed, lives torn apart. The scale of devastation here is truly incomprehensible.”

At the Boynuyoğun refugee camp, Mr. Beasley met with families whose homes were reduced to rubble. The camp is one of seven where WFP has been supporting Syrian refugees for years.

Now, assistance is being scaled up to include Turkish families displaced by the earthquake, WFP said.