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6 February 2023
MEDIA AVISORY
WHO Director-General, Emergencies Chief to address Türkiye Earthquake
Geneva, 6 February 2023—WHO’s Director-General and its Emergencies chief will give an overview of the situation in Türkiye and Syria at the World Health Organization’s Executive Board meeting on 7 February at 9 am CET.
The briefing, on the margins of the Executive Board meeting, will be webcast on WHO’s web page at Executive Board, 152nd session (who.int).
On 6 February 2023, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit south-east Türkiye and north-west Syria. Another large earthquake and multiple aftershocks followed less than 12 hours after that.
At least 1,700 deaths and 5,385 injuries have been confirmed by the Government in Türkiye. At least 2,818 buildings have reportedly collapsed in the country. Only emergency response teams are allowed to land in airports in Gaziantep and Kahramanmaraş.
At least 255 deaths and 811 injuries have reported by local authorities in north-west Syria. At least 325 buildings have been partially damaged and 224 were completely destroyed in 17 subdistricts.
WHO has activated the Emergency Medical Team network to provide support from trained teams, and pre-positioned trauma supplies have been released.
More details are expected on the earthquake and the response at the Executive Board briefing by Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and by Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme.
Additional Links:
- PAHO guidance for populations on what to do before, during and after an earthquake
- Health topic on earthquakes
- Q&A on WHO’s work in emergencies
- Fact sheet on mental health in emergencies
Information on the Executive Board:
The 152nd session of the Executive Board takes place from 30 January to 7 February, 2023 at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
The provisional agenda is online and contains all the main documents. The working hours will be 10:00-13:00 and 14:30-17:30 (CET) each day.
The Executive Board is composed of 34 technically qualified members elected for three-year terms. The main functions of the Board are to implement the decisions and policies of the Health Assembly, and to advise and generally facilitate its work. Composition of the EB
Media contacts:
The EB session can be watched online. Requests for media accreditation and access to the WHO building can be requested to mediainquiries@who.int
Media contacts:
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