Video: Woman Rescued Alive 222 Hours After Earthquake in Turkey; WHO Calls it a Century-Defining Disaster

In the southeastern region of Turkey, a woman has been rescued from the rubble 222 hours after a devastating earthquake. TRT Haber reported that "Melike Imamoglu, 45, was found alive in Kahramanmaras, 222 hours after the earthquake."

The powerful earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria a week ago have been described by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the deadliest natural disaster in Europe in the past century.

Hans Kluge, the WHO’s Regional Director for Europe, stated, "We are still learning about the scale of the disaster, and the actual damages have not yet been calculated." Kluge noted that over 35,000 deaths have been confirmed in Turkey, and around 5,000 in Syria, with those numbers continuing to rise. At least 26 million people in both countries require humanitarian assistance.

The WHO has called for $43 million to aid those affected by the earthquake and may request an increase in that amount. "I expect that in the coming days, as we better understand the scale of the crisis and the humanitarian needs, that figure will at least double," Kluge said.

Due to disrupted water supply and unsanitary conditions at the disaster sites, there are growing concerns over the spread of infectious diseases, according to the WHO. Turkish authorities, as reported by the organization, indicate that about 80,000 people are hospitalized, placing a tremendous burden on the healthcare system, which has also been severely affected by the natural disaster.

Kluge summarized, "In our 75-year history, we have initiated the largest deployment of emergency response teams in WHO’s European region. Their goal is to replace the destroyed hospitals, with special focus on patients with severe injuries."

It is worth noting that the 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes struck Kahramanmaras province in southeastern Turkey on February 6, with just a nine-hour interval between them. The aftershocks, which were numerous, were felt across 10 provinces in the country and in neighboring states. Both Turkey and Syria have been heavily impacted by the earthquake, with the death toll exceeding 41,000.