Solidarity campaigns and international aid continue to provide relief to those affected by earthquakes in southern Turkey, while the number of victims has reached 35,418.
Aid continues to flow to the areas affected by the earthquakes that struck southern Turkey, killing 35,418 people and injuring more than 105,000.
In this context, the Greek region of Attica, which includes the capital, Athens, witnessed the collection of tons of humanitarian aid as part of a campaign for the victims of the earthquake disaster in Turkey.
The Anatolian correspondent said that the aid was collected with the support of 60 municipalities of the region and a large number of donors, and it was sorted with the contribution of the Turkish community.
The UAE announced that the number of its planes, which it sent to provide relief to the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria as part of Operation "The Gallant Knight 2", reached, as of Wednesday, 60 planes loaded with medical and food supplies, according to a statement published by the official UAE news agency, WAM.
As part of the relief operation, the UAE has flown "30 cargo planes to Turkey and 30 similar ones to Syria, bringing the total number of flights to 60 so far (Wednesday)."
The agency stated that the planes "carried on board 1,375 tons of food and medical supplies and tents to shelter the affected people."
Member of the Jordanian Senate (Second Chamber of Parliament), Zuhair Abu Fares, called on the international community to establish a fund to deal with disasters in the region, after the "colossal shock" that the world experienced in the earthquake disaster.
Abu Fares said, during an interview with "Anatolia", that the earthquake "proved the interdependence of Turkey and the Arabs and their sharing of fears and challenges, which requires the establishment of an international fund to face its effects."
Abu Fares called on the world to provide "more support, so that Turkey can erase the effects of this earthquake and rebuild the devastated area," stressing that "if Turkey was not a great country and has enormous capabilities, the scale of the disaster and its human repercussions would have been greater than that."
Because of this earthquake, in addition to "the region is prone to similar earthquakes, which is proven historically and geographically," the Jordanian parliamentarian called for "the establishment of an international fund similar to the Marshall Plan to face any future disasters."
And "Marshall" is an economic project for the reconstruction of Europe, after the end of World War II, developed by the Chief of Staff of the US Army, General George Marshall, in 1947.
The Chargé d'Affaires of the Saudi Embassy in Ankara, Muhammad bin Yusef Al-Harbi, announced that the Kingdom has so far flown seven planes, via the air bridge, to provide relief to the afflicted in the affected areas after the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey.
Al-Harbi said, in an interview with Anadolu Agency, that the Saudi aid came in response to the orders of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Muhammad bin Salman.
He explained that the air bridge, which was launched immediately after the earthquake, will continue as long as there is a need, and that it has so far carried medical supplies, food, tents and rescue teams, in addition to techniques to search for survivors and help rescue them.
The Saudi diplomat pointed out that the popular campaign launched by King Salman and the Crown Prince, to provide relief to those affected by the earthquake in Syria and Turkey, with the slogan "Your giving relieves them", has collected more than 350 million Saudi riyals ($93 million).
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said that the death toll from the earthquakes in Turkey had risen to 35,418, and 105,505 injured.
He added, in a speech after a meeting of the government at the headquarters of the Disaster and Emergency Management, "it was reported" in the capital, Ankara, that 13,208 injured as a result of the earthquake were receiving treatment in hospitals.
And he indicated that the number of tents installed in the earthquake zones exceeded 175,000, and the prefabricated houses increased to more than 5,400.
He stated that 28,000 Turkish soldiers are carrying out their duties in the earthquake zones.
Erdogan praised the efforts made in the search and rescue operations, and stressed the continuation of the search and rescue work until the last victim was recovered from under the rubble.
He said, "All Turkish and international institutions, ministries, and teams, supported by several aircraft and equipment, worked diligently in search and rescue operations and in distributing aid to those affected by the earthquakes."
And he continued, "84 countries sent teams to assist in search and rescue operations, and we also received calls from all leaders who expressed their grief and sent their condolences."
Erdogan also announced new support packages for Turkish citizens in light of the emerging needs in the coming days.
He pointed out that the Turkish government will, within months, gradually start building all residential apartments away from earthquake fault lines.
And he added, "We will build every home and workplace that was destroyed or unfit for use due to the earthquake, and we will hand it over to its owner."
He continued, "As of early March, we will start building 30,000 housing units," noting that 98% of the buildings demolished as a result of the earthquake were built before 1999.
Erdogan made it clear that the Turkish banking sector allocated part of its profits for the year 2022, which currently amounts to 50 billion liras (about 2.64 billion dollars), to combat the effects of the earthquake.
The Turkish president also noted that every effort has been made to save the living and find the bodies of the dead and hand them over to their families, stressing that the government plans to provide strong, earthquake-resistant homes for all those affected and deliver them to them within a year.
Earlier today, the Turkish President noted that the earthquake disaster showed once again how important international solidarity is.
He thanked all friendly and brotherly countries that extended a helping hand and supported Turkish relief efforts in the face of the effects of the earthquake.
On February 6, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria, followed hours later by another with a magnitude of 7.6 and hundreds of violent aftershocks, which caused great loss of life and property in both countries.
Syria Guterres launches an emergency appeal to help the victims of the earthquake, the death toll is 4,300
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, launched an emergency appeal to raise about $400 million to help the earthquake victims in northwestern Syria over a period of three months. The death toll rose to 4,300 dead and 7,600 injured as of February 12, according to a statement by the United Nations agency.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, launched an emergency appeal to raise about $400 million to help the victims of the earthquake in Syria over a period of three months.
Guterres told reporters on Tuesday, "Today it was announced that the United Nations is launching a humanitarian appeal to raise 397 million dollars for the people who were victims of the earthquake that swept Syria. The aid will cover a period of three months," noting that the organization is working on launching a similar appeal for donations for the earthquake victims in Turkey.
Guterres called on all member states to "fund fully and without delay" these efforts in order to secure "the humanitarian assistance needed by about five million Syrians, including shelter, medical care and food."
"The needs are enormous," he said, and "we are all aware that life-saving aid is not arriving at the speed and volume needed."
"After a week of devastating earthquakes, millions of people across the region are struggling to survive, without shelter and in freezing temperatures," he added.
"The human suffering caused by this natural disaster must not be exacerbated by the barriers put up by people," Guterres added, reiterating his call for aid to be allowed "by all means, without any restrictions."
Guterres had announced, on Monday, that the President of the Syrian regime had agreed to open two additional border crossings between Turkey and northwestern Syria, which is not under the control of his forces, in order to bring humanitarian aid to those affected by the earthquake.
For his part, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken stressed, during a phone call with Guterres on Tuesday, "the need for the Assad regime to respect its commitment" with regard to the additional crossings, Bab al-Salama and al-Rai.
A statement from the US State Department quoted Blinken as confirming, to Guterres, that the work of these two additional crossings must be ensured, "including through a mandate from the UN Security Council if necessary."
Raed Al-Saleh, head of the organization that undertakes the main rescue operations in the affected area, said that the search efforts "are nearing completion. The data we have are that there are no (survivors), but we are trying to check all the sites and ask the people if there are any missing."
The United Nations agency had announced that the death toll from the earthquake that struck northern Syria had risen to 4,300, as of February 12.
And the IAEA said in a statement that "4,300 people were reported dead and 7,600 injured in northwest Syria as a result of the earthquake as of February 12."
In the context, a new UN convoy entered, on Sunday, to Syria from Turkey, loaded with much-needed aid for the affected Syrians.
Ten trucks entered Syria from the Bab al-Hawa crossing in northwestern Syria, according to an AFP correspondent, loaded with supplies for temporary shelter, along with plastic tents, blankets, mattresses, ropes, and so on.
Humanitarian aid destined for northwestern Syria is usually transported from Turkey through Bab al-Hawa, the only crossing point guaranteed by a Security Council resolution on cross-border aid.
The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, noted in a tweet that the UN agency "has so far failed the people in northwestern Syria. They rightly feel left out," calling for "correcting this failure as soon as possible."
For his part, the Director of the World Health Organization announced on Sunday that the President of the Syrian regime, Bashar al-Assad, expressed his willingness to consider opening more border crossings to deliver aid to the earthquake victims in northwestern Syria, which is under the control of the opposition.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters that Assad "has made it clear that he is open to the idea of (opening) border crossings (in response) to this urgent situation.
The UAE announces sending 70 relief planes to Turkey and Syria since the earthquakes occurred
The UAE announced on Wednesday that it has sent 70 relief planes to Turkey and Syria since the earthquakes occurred, while its president, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, directed the provision of 50 million US dollars for relief to those affected by the earthquakes in Syria, according to the Emirates News Agency.
The UAE announced on Wednesday that it has sent 70 relief planes to Turkey and Syria since the earthquake occurred, revealing a presidential directive to provide an additional $50 million to help the affected Syrians.
And the official UAE news agency reported on Wednesday that her country "has flown 70 relief aid planes to Syria and Turkey so far, for the tenth day in a row."
She explained that "the UAE sent 38 planes to Syria carrying about 1,243 tons of food and medical aid, along with 2,893 tents to house about 20,000 people, in addition to sending a search and rescue team consisting of 42 people."
On the Turkish side, "the UAE has operated 32 aircraft carrying medical equipment and materials, in addition to 927 shelter tents, benefiting nearly 5,000 people, in addition to a search and rescue team of 92 people," according to the agency.
She pointed out that the UAE opened an integrated field hospital in Turkey, in the Turkish correctional area, containing 50 beds and a medical team, in addition to establishing another hospital in the Hatay region, containing 200 beds.
In a related context, the Emirates News Agency reported on Wednesday that the country's President, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, had directed "to provide an additional sum of $50 million for relief to those affected by the earthquakes in Syria."
And she pointed out that "20 million dollars of the additional amount will be allocated to implement humanitarian projects in response to the urgent appeal of the United Nations on Syria."
With the occurrence of the earthquake, the President of the UAE ordered the provision of 50 million dollars to those affected by the earthquakes in Turkey, and the same amount to the afflicted in Syria.
Since the earthquake, more than 16 Arab countries have announced the establishment of air bridges, the provision of urgent relief and medical aid, and the launch of donation campaigns to support Turkey and Syria, most notably: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, the Emirates, Egypt, Lebanon, Algeria, Jordan, Bahrain, Libya, Tunisia, Palestine, Iraq, Mauritania, Sudan and the Sultanate of Oman.
On February 6, two successive earthquakes of magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 occurred in southern Turkey and northern Syria, causing great loss of life and property in both countries.
Under royal directives, Saudi Arabia confirms the continuation of support and relief operations in Turkey
Saudi Arabia confirmed the continuation of its relief operations in the earthquake-affected areas in Turkey through support teams, medical services, and search and rescue. The International Affairs Coordinator of the Saudi Red Crescent said that the work "was distributed in several directions, the first being emergency medical services."
On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia confirmed the continuation of its relief operations in the earthquake-affected areas in Turkey, through support teams, medical services, and search and rescue.
This came in statements to Anadolu Agency by the health advisor of the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Action, Ali Al-Ghamdi, and the International Affairs Coordinator of the Saudi Red Crescent, Abdullah Al-Ruwaili, as they received an aid plane in Gaziantep, southern Turkey.
Al-Ruwaili told Anadolu Agency: "Since the early days of the earthquake crisis, we have advanced directives from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and His Highness the Crown Prince to send Saudi teams, not only remotely, but also on the field, young men and women."
He pointed out that the work "was distributed in several directions, the first being emergency medical ambulatory services, and before that search and rescue with more than 110 specialists in the search teams."
Al-Ruwaili explained that "the broader aspect of support is the relief operations supervised by the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Action."
For his part, Al-Ghamdi told Anadolu Agency: "Today, we received a plane within the Saudi air bridge carrying relief and shelter equipment, food commodities and medical supplies to support the health situation in the affected areas."
He pointed to "the continuation of the air bridge and the arrival of another plane this evening, Wednesday," stressing "the continuation of the Saudi relief teams in the affected areas, along with the volunteer work team working in the field with the Saudi Red Crescent team."
On Wednesday, the number of Saudi relief planes heading to Turkey and Syria increased to 10 to face the repercussions of the devastating earthquake that struck them, while Riyadh announced on Tuesday its intention to establish temporary housing that includes more than 3,000 units for earthquake victims in the two countries.
On February 6, an earthquake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria, with a magnitude of 7.7, followed by another hours later with a magnitude of 7.6 and dozens of aftershocks, causing great loss of life and property in both countries.
watched A Bosnian boy sells tea to help earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria
Benjamin Mihanović, a 12-year-old boy living in Sarajevo, decided to sell tea to support the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria.
Benjamin Mihanović, a 12-year-old boy living in the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, decided to sell tea to support earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria.
Mihonovic began collecting aid by selling tea at a small kiosk on the streets of the capital's Dobriga district to victims of the two earthquakes that struck southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria early on Monday.
When asked where the idea of a tea kiosk came from, he replied, "When I saw the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria on TV, I came up with the idea of setting up a tea kiosk, and I invited my friends to join me."
"I suggested donating the money collected to the local relief organization Pomozi.ba or using it to purchase the required baby products," the boy told Anadolu Agency.
"I have collected 100 euros so far I bought baby products with the money I collected on the first day, and on the second day I donated to Pomozi.ba," said Mihajnovic, after launching his own aid campaign on Sunday.
In this regard, Mihajnovic said he feels very sorry for the children and babies affected by the earthquakes. "Some people didn't want to drink tea, they just wanted to help," he added.
On February 6, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and northern Syria, followed hours later by another with a magnitude of 7.6 and hundreds of violent aftershocks, which caused great loss of life and property in both countries.