Extreme cold weather is impeding rescue efforts in the second day of searching for survivors of deadly earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
Overnight temperatures in the worst-hit areas are set to dip below freezing, raising concerns about those left homeless or still trapped under the rubble.
In the Turkish city of Gaziantep, the epicenter of Monday’s 7.8 magnitude quake, the overnight forecast for Tuesday was -5 degrees Celsius.
In neighbouring Syria, temperature in the northeastern city of Aleppo, could drop as low as -2 degrees Celsius, according to the Weather Channel.
With damp, snowy and bitter cold conditions expected to continue in the region for the rest of the week, it’s a challenging time for all affected.
A massive relief operation is underway in the two countries reeling from the effects of two powerful earthquakes that have killed over 6,200 people so far and left tens of thousands injured or homeless.
“It’s now a race against time,” said World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a briefing in Geneva on Tuesday. “Every minute, every hour that passes, the chances of finding survivors alive diminishes.”
“Continued aftershocks, severe winter conditions, damage to roads, power supplies, communications and other infrastructure continue to hamper access and other search and rescue efforts,” the WHO chief added.
What are the risks of extreme cold?
More than 8,000 people have been pulled from the debris in Turkey alone, and some 380,000 have taken refuge in government shelters or hotels, said Turkish vice president Fuat Oktay.
But those without shelter, fuel, heating and electricity, are at an increased risk of exposure to the cold weather which is a “huge concern,” said Dr. Anna Banerji, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at the University of Toronto.
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Hypothermia is a serious cold weather condition when human body temperature drops below 35 degrees Celsius.
According to the United States Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), hypothermia is caused by prolonged exposures to very cold temperatures, but it can also occur at cool temperatures above four degrees Celsius.
It is particularly dangerous as it can affect the victim’s brain, making a person unable to think clearly or move well, CDC says on its website.
The elderly and children are at an increased risk of hypothermia especially if they’re not dressed properly or have adequate shelter, said Banerji.
“If you’re injured and you’re outside or you have blood loss, then again, you’re at higher risk of hypothermia,” she said.
Severe hypothermia can result in cardiac arrest and death.
The longer you are exposed to the cold, the risk of hypothermia and death increases, Banerji said.
Cold weather can also cause frostbite, when people lose feeling and colour in affected body parts.
This can happen when the temperature drops below 0 degrees Celsius, and generally affects the hands, feat, nose and ears, Health Canada says.
Severe cases of frostbite can permanently damage the body and lead to amputation, according to the CDC.
“The risk of frostbite is increased in people with reduced blood circulation and among people who are not dressed properly for extremely cold temperatures,” the CDC said in its extreme cold guide.
Cold weather can also make some respiratory illnesses, such as asthma and bronchitis, worse.
Meanwhile, windburn from cold wind can cause excessive dryness, redness and make the skin itchy.
Survivors in Turkey are huddled in shopping malls, stadiums, mosques and community centres, while others spent the night outside in blankets gathered around fires.
Teams from nearly 30 countries are headed for Turkey or Syria and aid is pouring in from across the world.
Canada is sending $10 million in immediate aid to help with the response to the earthquakes Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday as Turkey declared a three-month state of emergency in the country’s 10 southern provinces hit by the quake.
Banerji, who visited Haiti in 2010 a month after a devastating earthquake ripped through the Caribbean nation, said the first priority should be to save those who are lost.
And once recovered to ensure they are kept warm with blankets, shelter and heating.
Efforts should also be made to have clean drinking water, food and medication while addressing physical traumas, she said.
Corus Entertainment, the parent company of Global News, is supporting the Humanitarian Coalition in its appeal to help victims of the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Donations can be made online.
– with files from the Associated Press and Reuters
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