The Ambassador-Designate of Brunei Darussalam Noni Zurainah Ismi on Wednesday presented an Earthquake Humanitarian Fund for Türkiye, donated by the people of Brunei Darussalam, to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) in Ankara.
The fund was a platform provided by the Brunei government to allow the public to donate financial aid directly and transparently, as well as to allow various parties to organize charitable activities to ease the burden suffered by the Turkish people who were hit by the earthquake on Feb. 6, 2023.
"The funds were collected from the Brunei Darussalam public via individual bank transfers as well as through government and private sectors’ initiatives, telecommunication services, donation boxes, as well as fund-raising activities," the embassy said in a written statement.
The fund, established by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports of Brunei Darussalam, was open to the public for three months, from February 2023 to May 2023.
"A total of BND 713,944 ($523,980) was collected through the fund, which will be used to purchase climate control machines for the temporary settlements of the affected victims," it added.
On Feb. 6, 2023, Türkiye was shaken by deadly earthquakes, later dubbed as the "Disaster of the Century," in which over 53,537 lives were lost, 107,213 were injured and over 800,000 independent units, encompassing homes and businesses, were severely damaged. The seismic waves, each with magnitudes exceeding 6.5, reverberated across a vast expanse, covering 120,000 square kilometers (46,332 square miles). An estimated 14 million people found themselves in the quake's impact zone.
The triple seismic onslaught, with epicenters in Kahramanmaraş, left an indelible mark on the landscape and the lives of millions.
Türkiye established diplomatic relations with Brunei Darussalam in 1984 and opened an Embassy in Bandar Seri Begawan later in 2013, while Brunei opened its embassy in Ankara in 2014. Since then, visits have taken place on the level of leaders and foreign ministers.