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United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched a humanitarian "appeal" to raise $397 million to help those affected by the earthquake in Syria.

Guterres said, in his speech to reporters, that the United Nations is preparing to launch a similar appeal to Turkey, noting that, immediately after the devastating earthquake that struck the two countries, the UN organization hastened to allocate $50 million for relief efforts through the Central Emergency Response Fund.

While stressing that "the needs are enormous," Guterres stated that the response efforts in Syria are helping to secure relief, including shelter, health care, food and protection, for about 5 million Syrians, and the appeal will cover humanitarian needs for a period of 3 months.

He pointed out that "life-saving aid did not arrive at the necessary speed and scale," noting that the disaster was one of the largest in recent memory.

He added that millions are struggling to survive a week after the devastating earthquakes, and they are homeless living in freezing temperatures.

He emphasized that the United Nations was doing everything possible, but stressed the need for more.

And he sent an urgent message to the international community, saying: The human suffering caused by this massive natural disaster, should not be exacerbated by man-made obstacles such as the difficulty of humanitarian access and the lack of funding and supplies.

Guterres concluded his appeal by saying: "The passage of aid must be ensured from all sides to all sides through all roads without any restrictions," according to what was reported by the United Nations news.