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)
Short Url
Updated 08 February 2023
Follow

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.


Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly speaker visits Muslim World League

Speaker of the Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly, Ahmad Muzani, is received by MWL secretary-general Mohammed Al-Issa
Updated 5 sec ago
Follow

Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly speaker visits Muslim World League

  • Muzani delivered greetings from Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and expressed appreciation for the MWL’s global efforts to promote Islam’s message of peace and tolerance

RIYADH: The speaker of the Indonesian People’s Consultative Assembly, Ahmad Muzani, led a delegation to the headquarters of the Muslim World League in Makkah.

Muzani was received by Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa, the league’s secretary-general and chairman of the Organization of Muslim Scholars.

Muzani delivered greetings from Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and expressed appreciation for the MWL’s global efforts to promote Islam’s message of peace and tolerance.

He said that the league, through its extensive outreach and dialogue initiatives across diverse cultures and religions, effectively conveys the true essence of Islam.

 


King Salman receives written message from Russian President Vladimir Putin

Updated 59 min 45 sec ago
Follow

King Salman receives written message from Russian President Vladimir Putin

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman received a written message on Thursday from Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, about relations between Moscow and Riyadh.

Waleed Al-Khuraiji, the Saudi deputy minister of foreign affairs, accepted the message on the king’s behalf during a meeting with Sergey Kozlov, the Russian ambassador to Saudi Arabia. They discussed relations between their countries and ways in which they might be enhanced, the Saudi Press Agency reported.


Saudi Arabia denounces Israeli far-right minister’s incursion into Al-Aqsa Mosque

Updated 26 December 2024
Follow

Saudi Arabia denounces Israeli far-right minister’s incursion into Al-Aqsa Mosque

  • Itamar Ben-Gvir’s visit and prayer at Al-Aqsa provoked ‘the feelings of Muslims worldwide’
  • The Kingdom also condemns the advance by Israeli occupation forces in southern Syria

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the visit by the Israeli far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to the sacred Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the Old City in occupied East Jerusalem.

The ministry said that the national security minister’s visit and prayer at the Al-Aqsa compound on Thursday morning was a clear violation and provocation of the feelings of Muslims worldwide.

Ben-Gvir has repeatedly contested the Israeli government’s longstanding ban on Jewish prayer at the Al-Aqsa compound, which has been a focal point of tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Al-Aqsa compound in the Old City of Jerusalem is Islam’s holiest site after the mosques in Makkah and Madinah and is a symbol of Palestinian national identity.

The Saudi ministry on Thursday also condemned the Israeli occupation forces’ advance in southern Syria after the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime in early December.

“The continuation of (Israeli) military operations in Syria is an attempt to sabotage Syria’s chances of restoring its security and stability,” the ministry said in a statement.


Saudi foreign minister takes part in GCC extraordinary meeting in Kuwait

Updated 26 December 2024
Follow

Saudi foreign minister takes part in GCC extraordinary meeting in Kuwait

  • GCC officials reject foreign interference in Syrian affairs, call for lifting of Western sanctions
  • Meeting affirms GCC’s support for Palestinian people and demands ceasefire in Gaza

RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan took part in the 46th extraordinary meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s ministerial council in Kuwait on Thursday.

Ministers and officials from GCC countries discussed the latest developments in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza.

They stressed the need to uphold Syria’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity after the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in early December.

The ministerial council rejected foreign interference in Syrian affairs and called for Western sanctions that have weakened the country’s economy to be lifted, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

They reaffirmed their support for a comprehensive transitional process that ensures civilian safety, achieves national reconciliation, and preserves state institutions.

The council condemned Israeli attacks on Syria and the plan to expand illegal settlements in the occupied Golan Heights. It also condemned Israeli strikes on Lebanon.

Officials stressed that Lebanon needs political and economic reforms to prevent it from becoming a hub for terrorism and drug smuggling, highlighting the critical role of the Lebanese security forces in addressing these issues, the SPA added.

The meeting affirmed the GCC’s support for the Palestinian people, and called for a permanent ceasefire, an end to the siege in Gaza, and the supply of humanitarian aid.

Prince Sultan bin Saad, Saudi ambassador to Kuwait, and other senior Saudi foreign officials attended the meeting.


200 students will compete to represent Saudi Arabia at top science events

Mawhiba and the Ministry of Education announced the qualification of the 200 students who are pictured above. (@mawhiba)
Updated 26 December 2024
Follow

200 students will compete to represent Saudi Arabia at top science events

  • Mawhiba, Ministry of Education select students from a record 291,057 applications

RIYADH: A total of 200 students have been chosen to compete for a chance to represent the Kingdom at next year’s prestigious International Science and Engineering Fair and other international competitions.

The King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, or Mawhiba, and the Ministry of Education announced the qualification of the 200 students, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.

The announcement took place at the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity, or Ibdaa, exhibition for science and engineering. The Ibdaa event is held to create a competitive and creative environment for pre-college scientific researchers.

The students were selected from among 480 participants in the recent regional exhibitions held as a part of the fourth stage of the Olympiad.

The final qualifying stage for the Olympiad will be held at the Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University conference center in Riyadh from Feb. 2 to 6.

The Ibdaa 2025 Olympiad had a record registration of 291,057 students.

The Olympiad is an annual international contest for middle and high school students in standards and technology. It started as a local event in Korea in 2006, and became an international contest in 2014.