EXCLUSIVE | Turkey-Syria quake situation catastrophic, resources stretched thin: White Helmets

Turkey-Syria Earthquake: For more than 29 hours, the rescue workers of White Helmets, exhausted but mentally undefeated, continue to pull out lives trapped underneath the mound of rubble as search and rescue efforts continue after northwestern Syria and southern Turkey were hit by five devastating earthquakes, killing so far more than 5,000 people.

Turning into one of the worst disasters in mankind's history, the monstrous earthquake's toll continues to rise dramatically as rescuers make the frantic search for survivors amid the concrete and debris, with lives fleeting away with every passing second.

ALSO READ | Turkey-Syria earthquake Live Updates | Combined death toll surpasses 5,000; WHO says 23mln people affected

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The humanitarian workers of Nobel Peace Prize-nominated White Helmets, officially known as Syria Civil Defence, with their resilience and bravery continue saving lives and hopes amid the harsh weather conditions.

Speaking to WION about the tough conditions in which the volunteers are working in Syria, White Helmets' representative Oubadah Alwan says, "Our volunteers on the ground are facing challenges in all aspects of their rescue efforts. The situation is catastrophic, and our organisation is not equipped to handle this scale of the disaster."

No safe zone, people stranded in freezing cold

He said people have lost everything they had and now have no shelter or safe zone. The survivors are out in the freezing cold with lack of medical equipment and overwhelmed hospitals, he adds.

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"Buildings and homes have been completely destroyed, leaving people with no shelter during the harsh winter. There is no safe zone. People are out in the freezing cold with nowhere to go. Hospitals are beyond capacity and there is a shortage of medical equipment and supplies. Additionally, the search and rescue efforts, carried out in freezing temperatures and amidst aftershocks, have been ongoing for over 24 hours," Alwan told WION.

Resources spread thin, response limited

Hinting at the dark days ahead, Alwan laments that resources are spreading thin and those who were already displaced in Syria are now struggling for survival.

"At the moment, our resources are spread thin in every aspect. The response efforts and distribution of aid are stretched thin, making it difficult to meet the needs of the people. The displaced in Syria were already struggling to survive with limited resources, and now the response is even more limited due to the earthquake. The situation on the ground is still catastrophic with ongoing rescue efforts, however, our field workers have rescued approximately 2,200 civilians."

'Saving a life every second'

Narrating the on-ground difficulties, Alwan says that the response efforts of White Helmets have been hindered by aftershocks and strong earthquakes. As people scramble for lives and volunteers are able to respond to the initial tragedy, another tragedy strikes, he adds.

"We’ve been able to rescue many people, but there has been a large death toll till now and still people are trapped under the rubble. Volunteers are working as hard as they can to save people, but they are at full capacity. The death toll is expected to dramatically rise as hundreds remain trapped under rubble. Time is running out. Every second could mean saving a life," Alwan says.

The volunteers tirelessly continue to fight for every single life crying with hope to see the light break through the darkness of doomsday, praying to be counted among survivors and not among those dead in the worst catastrophic disasters in the history of mankind.

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