Turkey-Syria quakes: 'Worst natural disaster' in a century

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday said the deadly earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, were the worst natural disaster in the region in a hundred years.

"We are witnessing the worst natural disaster in the WHO European Region for a century. We are still learning about its magnitude. Its true cost is not known yet," WHO regional director for Europe, Hans Kluge said at a press conference.

The comments come as the hopes of finding more survivors from the earthquakes, which struck over a week ago, fade.

Turkey is among the 53 countries listed in the WHO's European Region, while neighboring Syria is in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) on Tuesday said that the number of dead has risen to 31,974.

Volunteer rescue group Syria Civil Defense — also known has The White Helmets — said the death toll had reached 2,166 in opposition-held areas, while the Syrian Health Ministry in Damascus said 1,414 people have died in government-held areas.

The latest figures bring the total number killed in the disaster to over 35,000.

First UN team crosses into opposition-held Syria — report

The AFP news agency reported that the first UN delegation to visit rebel-held northwestern Syria since last week's earthquake, crossed over from Turkey.

"A multi-agency mission has gone this morning from the Turkey side across the border crossing... It's largely an assessment mission," the World Food Programme's Syria director, Kenn Crossley, told AFP in Geneva.

On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed Syrian President Bashar Assad's decision to open two further crossings on the border with Turkey, allowing more aid into the region following the deadly earthquakes in the region.

The UN, meanwhile, has been under pressure to act over the slow pace of aid to the quake-stricken region.

Over 7 million children affected by earthquakes — UNICEF

UN children's agency UNICEF said that more than 7 million children have been affected by the Turkey-Syria earthquake and expressed fear over the thousands who have died.

"In Turkey, the total number of children living in the 10 provinces hit by the two earthquakes was 4.6 million children. In Syria, 2.5 million children are affected," UNICEF spokesperson James Elder told reporters in Geneva.

"UNICEF fears many thousands of children have been killed," Elder said, warning that "even without verified numbers, it is tragically clear that numbers will continue grow."

Given the rising death toll, Elder said it was clear that "many, many children will have lost parents in these devastating earthquakes."

"It will be a terrifying figure," he added.

Summary of Turkey-Syria earthquake events on Monday

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that Syrian President Bashar Assad had agreed to allow UN aid deliveries to opposition-held northwest Syria through two additional border crossings from Turkey for three months.

Turkey's presidential office said the earthquakes has left 1.2 million people in southern Turkey homeless.

The German government said it wants to temporarily ease visa restrictions for survivors of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. The easing of rules would apply to those who have close family ties to Germany if they are facing homelessness or were injured.