After a massive earthquake hit southern Türkiye and northern Syria in the early hours of Monday, prompting fears of a humanitarian crisis, United Nations (UN) aid agencies have scrambled to help many thousands of reported victims, including those still believed to be buried under the rubble, according to a press release issued by UN.

The initial 7.8 magnitude quake struck close to Gaziantep, followed by another 7.5 magnitude tremor several hours later.

„My heart goes out to the people of Türkiye and Syria in this hour of tragedy” said the UN Secretary-General António Guterres in a statement. „The United Nations is fully committed to supporting the response. Our teams are on the ground assessing the needs and providing assistance.”

More than 1.500 have been reported to have died and many more are injured with the toll continuing to rise as the rescue work continues.

Mr. Guterres said that the UN was counting on the international community to help the many thousands caught up in the disaster, „many of whom were already in dire need of humanitarian aid in areas where access is a challenge.”

Emergency medical teams from the World Health Organization, WHO, have been given the green light to provide essential care for the injured and most vulnerable, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a tweet.