12 Feb 2023; MEMO: Pope Francis on Sunday again called for prayers and solidarity with the victims of this week’s earthquakes that shook southern Türkiye and affected Syria.
"We continue to be close, with prayer and concrete support, to the earthquake victims in Syria and Turkey," he said during his Angelus address, the Vatican News reported.
His remarks came as international search and rescue efforts continue in affected areas of Türkiye following the two devastating quakes.
"Let us not forget, let us pray and think what we can do for them," added the pontiff.
In Türkiye, over 24,600 people were killed and over 80,000 others wounded after magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes struck 10 southern provinces on Feb. 6, affecting around 13 million people, according to the latest official figures.
Several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon, also felt the strong tremors.
In Syria, at least 3,574 people were killed and thousands of others injured in the northern provinces of Idlib, Latakia, Aleppo, Hama, and Raqqa, according to regime sources and rescue officials in opposition-held areas.
