Minute’s silence held at Champions League matches in solidarity with Turkey, Syria

A minute’s silence was observed before the two Champions League football matches in Paris and Milan on Tuesday as a mark of respect for the victims of the earthquake in Syria and Turkey.

Players, officials and fans stood in silence before the round of 16 matches between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich in France and AC Milan against Tottenham Hotspur in Italy.

More than 40,000 people have been killed in the massive earthquake and the major aftershock which struck Turkey and neighboring Syria on February 6.

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United Nations relief chief Martin Griffiths said on Sunday that he believes the death toll will “double or more” to top 50,000.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the earthquake has affected nearly 26 million people. WHO has initiated a flash appeal for $42.8 million to address the pressing health needs of those affected. The situation is particularly dire in Syria, where it is estimated that up to 5.3 million individuals may now be homeless.

Bayern Munich beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 and AC Milan beat Tottenham 1-0 in the first leg of their round-of-16 Champions League clash.

The teams will meet again in the second leg of the round of 16 on March 8.

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