UN appeals for $1 billion to help Turkey quake survivors

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations has launched a $1 billion appeal to help 5.2 million survivors of the most devastating earthquake in Turkey’s modern history. That came two days the U.N. started a $397 million appeal to help nearly 5 million Syrians across the border in the rebel-held northwest. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric was peppered with questions Thursday about why the appeal for Turkey was only targeted at 5.2 million people when more than 15 million people were affected — and why the appeal for Turkey is 2½ times larger than the one for Syria to help almost the same number of people. He says the Turkish appeal “was designed in very close cooperation with the government of Turkey, which is leading the relief efforts.”