Death toll surpasses 50,000 in earthquakes of Turkey and Syria

The death toll from the February 6 earthquake in Turkey and Syria passed 50,000 on Friday, after Turkey said more than 44,000 people had died. The Disaster and Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) said the death toll in Turkey from the earthquake rose to 44,218 on Friday night. 

With Syria's latest reported death toll at 5,914, the total death toll in both countries has risen to more than 50,000.

Half a million in Turkey need new homes

Erdoğan's government has withstood a wave of criticism both for its response to the devastation and for what many Turks say have been years of failing to enforce construction quality controls. The Turkish government's original plan is now to build 200,000 apartments and 70,000 village houses at a cost of at least $15 billion, he said. American bank JPMorgan estimated that rebuilding homes and infrastructure would cost $25 billion.

The UNDP said it estimated the destruction had left 1.5 million people homeless, with 500,000 new homes needed. She said she had requested $113.5 million of the $1 billion requested by the United Nations last week, adding that the money would go toward clearing mountains of rubble.

UNDP estimates that the disaster produced 116 million to 210 million tons of debris, compared to 13 million tons after the 1999 earthquake in northwest Turkey. Turkey has also issued new regulations that allow companies and charities to build houses and workplaces and donate them to the Ministry of Urbanization for people in need.

Many survivors have left the earthquake-hit area of southern Turkey or settled in tents, container houses and other government-supported accommodation.

In Antakya, Saeed Sleiman Ertoglu, 56, loaded what was left of his stock from his hookah shop that was undamaged. "The glass was very beautiful, more so than usual, but then we had this (earthquake) and it was all destroyed," he said after his home and shop survived the first tremors but not the later ones. He estimated that only 5% of his goods survived.

"What can we do?" he said. "This is an act of God, and God's will always brings gifts."