Donor conference seeks to rally quake aid for Turkey, Syria

AFP :
The EU on Monday will host a conference in Brussels aimed at ramping up funds from international donors to help the victims of the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria.
Last month’s catastrophic 7.8-magnitude quake flattened entire cities, killing more than 50,000 people across southeastern Turkey and parts of war-torn Syria.
Millions were displaced and a preliminary estimate from the United Nations says the damage in Turkey alone could amount to over $100 billion.
Flash floods in the region last week only added to the misery, killing 14 people living in temporary shelters.
The United Nations Development Programme complained earlier this month about the poor level of response to a call made in mid-February for urgent funding.
Aid organisation International Rescue Committee (IRC) urged donors to at least ensure the UN’s emergency appeal for $1 billion for Turkey and $397 million for Syria are fully funded.
The UN says the appeal for Turkey has so far only been 16 percent fulfilled, while the figure for Syria stands at 72 percent.