Pope asks for prayers and solidarity for quake victims in Turkey and Syria

A couple sits next to rubble at the site of a collapsed building in Kahramanmaras, Turkey

POPE

Pope Francis renews his appeal for concrete help and prayers for all those affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria. He also prays for war-ravaged Ukraine, calling on responsible parties to have the courage to walk the path of peace.

By Linda Bordoni

鈥淲e continue to be close, with prayer and concrete support, to the earthquake victims in Syria and Turkey.鈥�

Speaking during the Angelus address in St. Peter鈥檚 Square on Sunday, Pope Francis renewed his appeal for concrete acts of solidarity and for prayers for the quake-struck people in Turkey and Syria.

His call for action came as the death toll from the earthquakes in Turkey and northwestern Syria surpassed 29,000 amidst continuing rescue efforts.

Specialized search and rescue teams from across the world have joined forces in the affected areas and stories of extraordinary rescues, almost a week after the quake, continue to emerge. But humanitarian agencies are warning of a 鈥渟econd disaster鈥� as scores of people left homeless in the freezing cold struggle to survive.

Emirati rescuers continue their search and rescue operations in Jableh, Syria

Prayers for quake victims and war-ravaged Ukraine

Pope Francis said he has been seeing images of the catastrophe and the pain of the people and he asked all men and women of goodwill to pray for them.