Turkiye-Syria quake: Saudi Arabia orders air bridge for aid, Pakistan sends rescue teams

Volunteers share an emotional moment as they take part in a rescue operation following an earthquake in Hatay, Turkey on February 8, 2023. (REUTERS)
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Updated 08 February 2023
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Turkiye-Syria quake: Saudi Arabia orders air bridge for aid, Pakistan sends rescue teams

  • Riyadh has organized a campaign through its “Sahem” platform to help in Turkiye and Syria
  • UAE says will set up field hospital in Turkiye, dispatch search and rescue teams to Turkiye and Syria

Governments and international organizations from around the world have responded with offers of support after an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck central Turkiye and northwest Syria.

Below is a list of some of those announcements of support:

UNITED STATES
Two US Agency for International Development teams each comprised of about 80 people plus search-and-rescue dogs, will arrive in Turkiye on Wednesday and head to the southeastern province of Adiyaman to focus on search and rescue, said a USAID disaster assistance response team leader, Stephen Allen.

CHINA
A Chinese earthquake rescue team sent by China arrived in Turkiye’s Adana on Wednesday, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The team of 82 members and four search dogs, brought 20 tons of supplies and equipment. Rescue teams from several provinces were also on the way, CCTV said.

INDIA
Two teams from India’s National Disaster Response Force of 100 personnel with dogs and equipment were ready to be flown in. Medical teams were being readied and relief material was being sent in coordination with Turkish authorities.

JAPAN
Japan has sent 73 rescue personnel to Turkiye with equipment such as life detectors, drills, portable generators, medical kits and food.

BRITAIN
The government said 76 British search and rescue specialists with four search dogs and rescue equipment had been sent to Turkiye and a British emergency medical team would assess the situation.

THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
The UAE said it would set up a field hospital in Turkiye and dispatch search and rescue teams to Turkiye and Syria. It said it would provide urgent relief to Syria’s hardest-hit areas.

SPAIN
Spain was sending an A400 military plane with firefighters and equipment, along with an Airbus A330 with civil defense staff to work with rescuers. Spain also sent two warships, Juan Carlos I and Galicia, toward Turkiye with aid and 500 Marines.

SAUDI ARABIA
Saudi Arabia ordered an air bridge to provide aid and organized a campaign through its “Sahem” platform to help in Turkiye and Syria.

IRAQ
Iraq said it would send civil defense teams to Turkiye and Syria with emergency aid and relief supplies.

QATAR
The government said it was operating relief flights to Turkiye to transport search and rescue teams along with vehicles, a field hospital, tents and other supplies, Qatar’s state news agency reported.

Qatar-funded Qatar Charity said it was distributing 27,000 hot meals in the Turkish city of Gaziantep, where it has an office, and is supplying relief items to shelters in Turkiye and Syria. The group allocated $6 million for the first stages of its response.

PAKISTAN
Pakistan said it was sending two C-130 planes with relief supplies and 36 search and rescue personnel.

THE VATICAN AND ITALY’S CATHOLIC CHURCH
Pope Francis has sent a telegram offering his “heartfelt condolences” after earthquakes in Turkiye and Syria.

The Italian Roman Catholic Church allocated 500,000 euros ($537,800) for emergency aid.

GERMANY
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the federal civil protection agency could provide camps with emergency shelters and water treatment units and that it was preparing relief supplies with emergency generators, tents and blankets, in coordination with the Turkish authorities. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has promised more support.

CANADA
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged C$10 million ($7.5 million) in immediate aid to Turkiye and Syria, and said Canada would continue to provide support as the situation evolved.

AUSTRALIA
Australia said it would provide A$10 million ($7 million) in aid and deploy an urban search and rescue team of up to 72 people to Turkiye, with the aim to have boots on the ground by the end of the week.

UN WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION
The WHO said its network of emergency medical teams had been activated to provide essential health care for the injured and most vulnerable.

ITALY
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Italy’s Civil Protection was standing by to contribute support and provide first aid.

POLAND
Poland will send rescue group HUSAR consisting of 76 firemen and eight rescue dogs, a government minister said.

EUROPEAN UNION
European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said the EU’s 24/7 Emergency Response Coordination Center had contacted Turkish authorities and had activated its emergency Copernicus satellite mapping service to help first responders.

TAIWAN
Taiwan’s fire department said a team of 40 rescuers along with three rescue dogs and four to five tons of aid had been se to Turkiye. It earlier said it was ready to offer a team 130 people, along with five search dogs and 13 tons of aid, and was awaiting Turkiye’s response.

UKRAINE
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was ready to send support. “We are in this moment close to the friendly Turkish people, ready to provide the necessary assistance,” he said.

RUSSIA
Russia’s emergencies ministry said two IL-76 aircraft with 100 rescuers were ready to fly out to Turkiye if required.

President Vladimir Putin sent messages to Turkiye and to Syria, where Russian troops have been supporting the Syrian military, expressing condolences to the presidents of both nations and offering support.

GREECE
Greek Prime Minister Kyrikos Mitsotakis offered condolences and support to Turkiye, saying Greece was mobilizing its resources and would assist immediately.

ISRAEL
Israel has sent search and rescue teams, medical staff and supplies. It was also prepared to help victims from Syria, which is an enemy state, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL (NRC)
“NRC is assessing the situation in order to provide direct support to those most affected across Syria. A massive scale up is needed and our organization will be part of it,” said the group’s Middle East regional director, who also appealed for more international support for Syria and Turkiye.

SWITZERLAND
Switzerland has sent about 80 Swiss Rescue experts and eight search dogs to Turkiye. The rescue team includes disaster response specialists from the Swiss military.

FINLAND
Finland said rescue experts would be sent to Turkiye as part of EU aid.


Reconstituted Saudi IP authority’s board of directors approved 

Updated 26 December 2024
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Reconstituted Saudi IP authority’s board of directors approved 

  • Shihana Alazzaz, who is an adviser at the Royal Court, will continue to serve as chair

RIYADH: The Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property’s newly-reconstituted Board of Directors was approved for a three-year term, the Saudi Press Agency reported Wednesday.

In the reconstituted board, Shihana Alazzaz, who is an adviser at the Royal Court, will continue to serve as chair. She previously served as the deputy secretary-general of the Council of Ministers and was the first Saudi woman to hold the position.

The approval includes extending the membership of Eng. Haitham Al-Ohali, Eng. Osama Al-Zamil, and Dima Al-Yahya.

Badr Al-Qadi and Dr. Mohammed Al-Otaibi join the board as new members. 

Alazzaz expressed her thanks and gratitude to King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their generous and continuous support for the authority.

She also thanked the previous board members for their efforts and wished the new members success.

The authority’s CEO Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Suwailem, said that the new formation of the board reflects the continued generous support of the leadership for the authority, wishing the Board success.


Grand Mosque authority announces free storage for Umrah performers

Updated 26 December 2024
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Grand Mosque authority announces free storage for Umrah performers

  • Storage facilities are located near the Makkah Library and Gate 64

MAKKAH: Authorities in the holy city of Makkah announced on Wednesday free luggage storage for Umrah performers.

The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque announced that free storage facilities are available to the east of the Grand Mosque, near the Makkah Library, and to the west, near Gate 64.

Umrah performers must present their permits through the Nusuk app to access the facilities, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Umrah performers can store bags, not loose items, weighing up to 7 kilograms for a maximum of four hours. Valuables, prohibited items, food, and medicine are not permitted. A claim ticket must be presented for retrieval.

The authority plans to extend the service to encompass all areas around the Grand Mosque to better assist visitors, the SPA added.


King Salman, Crown Prince send condolences to Azerbaijan president

Updated 26 December 2024
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King Salman, Crown Prince send condolences to Azerbaijan president

  • The King and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also extend sympathies to families of plane crash victims

RIYADH: King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman each sent messages of condolence and sympathy to Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev on Wednesday, after the tragic crash of a passenger plane.

The King and the crown prince also extended their heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives onboard the Azerbaijan Airlines plane, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

On Wednesday morning, the passenger plane, traveling from Azerbaijan to Russia, crashed near Aktau, western Kazakhstan, with 62 passengers and five crew members on board.

Kazakh authorities announced that 28 people had survived.


KSrelief chief meets Palestinian ambassador to Saudi Arabia

Updated 25 December 2024
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KSrelief chief meets Palestinian ambassador to Saudi Arabia

  • Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah and Mazen Ghoneim discussed Saudi humanitarian efforts to support Palestinians in Gaza

RIYADH: The supervisor-general of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, met the Palestinian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Mazen Ghoneim on Wednesday in Riyadh.

Al-Rabeeah and Ghoneim discussed Saudi humanitarian efforts to support Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Ghoneim expressed his gratitude to KSrelief and praised its strong relationship with the Palestinian people, the SPA added.

KSrelief initiated various projects to support Palestinian hospitals and humanitarian efforts in the Gaza Strip during the ongoing Israeli war.

Earlier in December, KSrelief sent 20 fully equipped ambulances to boost the health sector in Gaza.

It also distributed aid and food parcels that benefited nearly 3,500 Palestinians, some of whom were displaced in the Gaza Strip.


Saudi-Qatari security, military committee meeting held in Riyadh

Updated 25 December 2024
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Saudi-Qatari security, military committee meeting held in Riyadh

Saudi Arabia’s Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif and Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani chaired the second meeting of the Saudi-Qatari Coordination Council’s Security and Military Committee in Riyadh on Wednesday.

During the meeting, they discussed ways to enhance cooperation in areas of common interest, to achieve the aspirations of the two nations’ leaders and people, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Prince Saud praised the efforts made by both sides to achieve joint initiatives.