He spoke of horrific scenes during his visit to Antioch

UN official: I saw the "end of the world" in the earthquake areas in Turkey

An earthquake survivor cries at the ruins of her home in Hatay. AFP

The head of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), David Beasley, said he "faced horrific scenes while visiting earthquake-stricken areas in southern Turkey."

Strong earthquakes that began on Feb. 50 shook Turkey and neighboring Syria, killing more than <>,<> people.

Beasley said after visiting the city of Antioch in Turkey's Hatay province: "There is only one way to describe what I saw today: the end of the world."

"Entire neighborhoods were razed to the ground, homes were destroyed, schools and shops were closed and lives were lost. "The scale of destruction here is really unbelievable."

The UN official said in a statement: "The situation on the Syrian side amounts to 'disaster upon disaster', referring to the 12-year war in Syria."

"Beasley visited a UN logistics hub, where trucks are loaded with food and other emergency supplies before crossing into northwest Syria," the WFP said, stressing the urgent need to increase food deliveries to Syria through all routes without any restrictions, and called on all parties to facilitate aid access.

Head of the World Food Programme:

"The situation on the Syrian side amounts to disaster upon catastrophe."