UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he has sent Martin Griffiths, the undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, to quake-hit Türkiye. Guterres also said he will issue a flash appeal early next week to support humanitarian needs, Anadolu Agency reported on Thursday.

"We have coordinated the deployment of over 4,948 search and rescue experts and the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) emergency response teams soon after the earthquake shook Türkiye and Syria," Griffiths said Thursday on Twitter.

Martin Griffiths, of the United Kingdom, speaks as the Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, during a Security Council meeting on the maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine , Monday, Feb. 6, 2023, at United Nations headquarters. (Photo: AP)