The United States will provide one hundred million dollars in additional aid to the victims of the earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria and killed thousands of people, the head of US diplomacy announced on Sunday.
“When you see the extent of the damage, the number of buildings, the number of houses that were destroyed, [percebemos que] rebuilding will require a major effort and we are committed to supporting that effort. We raised 100 million dollars [cerca de 93,5 milhões de euros] to help those who desperately need it”said Anthony Blinken, during a visit to the Incirlik airbase in southeastern Turkey, quoted by Agence France Presse.
It is from this base, where some 1,500 US soldiers are stationed, that humanitarian aid for the areas affected by the earthquake leaves some 45,000 dead and more than 100,000 injured in Turkey and Syria.
According to AFP, it was also from the Incirlik base that Anthony Blinken took off by helicopter to fly over the devastated province of Hatay.
Meanwhile, the US State Department specified, in a statement quoted by the EFE agency, that US President Joe Biden will authorize the transfer of US$50 million from the Emergency Fund for Migrants and Refugees. The remaining 50 million will be provided by the United States Agency for International Development.
On February 6 there was an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale -with an epicenter in Turkish territory- followed by several aftershocks, one of them measuring 7.5.
The region affected by the earthquakes extends over 100,000 square kilometers.
Turkey decided today to suspend search and rescue operations, 14 days after the strong earthquake, except in the hardest-hit provinces of Kahramanmaras and Hatay, the government relief agency (Afad) announced.
According to a report released today by this organization, the earthquake that shook southern Turkey and northern Syria left 40,689 dead in Turkey, while the number of victims in Syria is around 4,000.
The head of the government aid agency also said that 105,000 buildings had collapsed or were badly damaged and would be demolished.
The World Health Organization (WHO) raised this Friday to 84.5 million dollars (79 million euros) the international request for financial aid for those affected by these earthquakes.
Source: TSF
