UN sends aid to earthquake-affected people in Turkey

United Nations agencies said today they have sent relief materials to Turkey to assist those affected by the earthquake that killed hundreds of people on Sunday and damaged thousands houses, rendering thousands of people in south-eastern part of the country homeless.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it has sent 400 winterized family tents, 200 of which arrived in the city of Erzurum yesterday, while the rest were due to be delivered today.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR) sent 4,000 tents, 50,000 blankets and 10,000 bed mats, while the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) gave 250 tents.

There are concerns over freezing night-time temperatures and access to safe water and sanitation in the affected area, according to OCHA.

The 7.2-magnitude earthquake near the city of Van on Sunday is reported to have killed at least 500 people and injured an estimated 1,600 others, according to figures provided by the Turkish authorities.