Quake response in Syria faces obstacles, says top U.N. aid official

Rescuers search for survivors under the rubble following an earthquake in Diyarbakir, Turkey February 6, 2023. REUTERS/Sertac Kayar

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A top U.N. humanitarian official said damage to roads, fuel shortages and harsh winter weather in Syria were hampering the agency's response to an earthquake on Monday that killed more than 1,200 in the country and left millions in need of aid.

The huge tremor, which also left more than 2,300 people dead in Turkey, sent people rushing into the streets in Syria's north, where past air strikes and shelling have already traumatised the population and weakened many buildings.