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U.N. aid chief laments 'failure' as 50,000+ quake toll expected

The death toll from the magnitude 7.8 and 7.5 earthquakes that hit Turkey and northern Syria a week ago rose to more than 36,000 people as the search continued for loved ones trapped in the rubble despite a closing survival window.

Earthquake rescue efforts in opposition-held Sarmada near northwest Syria’s border with Turkey
Earthquake rescue efforts in opposition-held Sarmada near northwest Syria’s border with Turkey (AN/OCHA/Bilal Al-Hammoud)

A week after earthquakes destroyed large swaths of Turkey and Syria, an outpouring of international aid could not undo the damage made worse by an sluggish initial response.

Due to political pressure from Syria's ally Russia, just one of four previous border crossings to deliver humanitarian aid has remained open along the Turkey-Syria border, but even that one was closed for days, hampered by damaged roads and security concerns. On Monday, Syrian leader Bashar Assad agreed to open two more border crossings from Turkey to bring badly needed aid to quake-hit Syrians.

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