Bashar Assad warns Syria can’t cope with ‘scale of earthquake disaster’

Dictator thanks ‘Arab brothers and friends’ for aid

Dictator Bashar al-Assad has warned Syria cannot cope with the aftermath of last week’s devastating earthquake centred on southern Turkey as he thanked other nations for their support.

“The scale of the disaster and the duties we must undertake are much greater than available resources,” the president said in his first televised address since the disaster struck.

His government says the death toll in territory it controls is 1,414 but more than 4,000 fatalities have been reported in the rebel-held northwest. Almost 40,000 have been confirmed killed in Turkey so far.

The catastrophic quake could ease Assad’s international isolation after more than 11 years of civil war, with aid pouring in mostly from Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, which had funded the armed opposition to his government.

Assad said the disaster presented “an opportunity” to deal with issues that had built up in the country, which is also dealing with a deep economic crisis, and thanked states that provided aid, including “Arab brothers and friends.”

At least 119 UN aid trucks have passed through two border crossings into rebel-held areas opened by Assad since the disaster, the UNHCR told Reuters. Meanwhile, a convoy of 15 aid trucks from Qatar has reached the rebel-held town of Afrin, bringing desperately needed food, essential medicines and tents.

A still image taken from social media video of the Aleyna Olmez’s rescue (Reuters)

In Turkey, a 17-year-old girl named locally as Aleyna Olmez was pulled alive from the rubble after more than 10 days, but such rescues have become increasingly rare.

Footage showed her being carried on a stretcher to an ambulance covered with a gold-coloured thermal blanket.

For families still waiting to retrieve their lost relatives, there is growing anger over what they see as corrupt building practices and deeply flawed urban development that has resulted in thousands of homes and businesses disintegrating.

Turkey has promised to investigate anyone suspected of being involved in poor construction and has ordered the detention of more than 100 suspects, including developers.

The potential economic impact of the earthquake in Turkey could result in a loss of up to 1 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product this year, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said in a report published on Thursday.

A volunteer shows a cat rescued from a collapsed building in Turkey on Thursday (AFP/Getty)

JPMorgan estimated that the direct cost of the destruction of physical structures in Turkey could amount to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product, or $25bn (£20.8bn).

Heavy machinery was trying to clear mounds of debris that block numerous towns and cities in southeast Turkey, including in Adiyaman. Many survivors have fled the disaster zones, but some have decided to stay, despite the dreadful conditions.

“We spend our days with bread, soup and meals as part of the aid sent by people. We don't have a life anymore. We are afraid,” said Mustafa Akan, who sleeps outdoors and stays warm by burning wood in a bucket.

Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report