More humanitarian aid was sent from countries, including the U.S., U.K., Germany, China, and Lebanon, to Türkiye's southeast, which was devastated by twin earthquakes on Feb. 6.
Aid from all around Türkiye and the world started pouring in disaster-hit areas after magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes destroyed tens of thousands of buildings.
According to the latest figures, the earthquakes caused widespread damage and killed over 39,000 people in Türkiye’s south and southeast.
U.S. Ambassador to Ankara Jeffry Flake said on Friday that his country will continue providing aid to the quake-hit regions in Türkiye.
"The US government through USAID (US Agency for International Development) has announced an initial tranche of a grant of $85 million and more will be announced soon," Flake said.
Underlining that they also contribute through the U.N., he said the American Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Türkiye chamber, raised nearly $50 million.
"When I talk to my former colleagues in the United States Senate and the House, I remind them that over the years, Türkiye has responded on five continents in more than 50 countries to earthquakes and floods, and other natural disasters. So they paid it forward. And now it's our turn to pay back," he said.
The U.S. stands by Türkiye as long as it takes during the "recovery phase," he added.
An additional tranche of 60 tons of aid is being sent to Türkiye from the U.S. to help alleviate the needs of earthquake victims, the Turkish embassy in Washington announced on Friday.
The donations are being transported by an Atlas Air 747-8F plane, with logistical assistance from Turkish Airlines, and fuel from Boeing.
Sinan Ertay, the deputy chief of mission at the Turkish embassy in Washington, said humanitarian assistance continues to pour in from across the U.S., especially the Turkish-American community.
"We have sent aid by air before and we continue to send it. We have more relief supplies. We deliver aid from all over the U.S. to Türkiye by planes," he told Anadolu.
The flight departed from Washington Dulles International Airport with tons of humanitarian and relief supplies, Atlas Air said in a statement.
"Through our partnership with Turkish Airlines, we are honored to contribute air freight capacity to deliver critical supplies to this region where they are needed the most," said John Dietrich, President and Chief Executive Officer, of Atlas Air Worldwide.
"We are moved by the heroic work of first responders and humanitarian organizations to provide relief to the communities impacted by this natural disaster. On behalf of our 5,000 Atlas employees around the world, we are grateful for this opportunity to show our support."
The U.K. will continue to explore options for further support to Türkiye following last week's devastating earthquakes, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Friday.
"I am in regular contact with my counterpart and friend [Turkish] Defence Minister Hulusi Akar," he said in a statement, adding that the U.K. is committed to helping its close partner Türkiye, having deployed flights, medics, and aid to support recovery efforts.
It also said the U.K. is leading NATO's response to the earthquakes, which killed or injured tens of thousands and left many in need, with three Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft helping to deliver NATO's package of emergency support to Türkiye.
Military aircraft such RAF Atlas A400Ms and two C130 Hercules are transporting a NATO Operational Liaison and Reconnaissance Team from Italy to Türkiye on Friday.
"The RAF has also flown over 15 tonnes of humanitarian aid and 81 tonnes of medical aid to the people of Turkey and Syria including thousands of thermal blankets and medical supplies, and £25 million ($30 million) in new funding to support the response was announced this week," it added.
The UK also sent a team of 77 search and rescue experts with specialist equipment, as well as four rescue dogs, who worked day and night to help people affected by the earthquake.
"More UK flights are on standby should they be required by NATO and the UK will continue to contribute to the NATO Alliance's support to Turkey," it said.
Türkiye's ambassador to Beijing said Friday that 600 tons of aid materials have been sent from China following last week's deadly earthquakes in southern Türkiye.
Participating in a welcoming ceremony in the capital Beijing for the returning Chinese search and rescue teams, Abdulkadir Emin Önen said that among the materials delivered to Türkiye were 10,000 tents, 112,000 blankets, and sleeping bags as well as nearly 1,000 generators, heaters, and first aid materials.
Önen said that 22,000 more tents are being prepared to be sent to the disaster zone in a week.
Lebanon will also send a ton of humanitarian aid for the quake victims in southern Türkiye, the Turkish ambassador to Beirut said Thursday.
"Until now, we have had the opportunity to send half a ton of humanitarian aid to Adana (province). Today, we plan to deliver 1 ton of blankets, heaters, materials, and food in coordination with Turkish Airlines," Ali Barış Ulusoy told Anadolu Agency (AA).
Lebanon has sent three search and rescue teams to Türkiye so far, Ulusoy added.
"Although Lebanon has been in a serious financial crisis since 2019, we observed that both the Lebanese government and people are trying to help wholeheartedly," he said, expressing gratitude to all those contributing to relief for quake victims.
Duygu Itani, the deputy coordinator of the Yunus Emre Institute (YEE) Beirut office, said students donated $4,000 in cash as well as blankets, clothes, heaters, and food.
Lebanese people sent aid under the leadership of the Turkish Embassy and with the support of Yunus Emre Institute (YEE), the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), and Turkish Airlines (THY).
Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati dispatched a search and rescue team comprising 83 people to Türkiye on Feb. 6, right after the earthquake.
A German machine manufacturer Scheppach GmbH has assisted earthquake victims in Türkiye by sending over 1,368 generators to the affected areas in the country's south.
The Turkish Consulate in Munich coordinated with the German company to send 12 diesel and 1,356 inverter generators, along with 160 large electric heaters, worth approximately €1 million from its warehouses in Germany.
Serdar Eraslan, the General Manager of Scheppach, said that as a Turk, he felt that it was his "duty" to help the earthquake victims in Türkiye.
He stated that the company wanted to support families and the elderly who have lost their belongings and provide access to electricity and heat for them.
Eraslan said it also took into consideration the needs of earthquake victims when sending generators to Türkiye, saying "In the inverter generators we send, sensitive products such as mobile phones and laptops can be charged."
