Türkiye can count on the full support of the international community as it battles the aftermath of an "awful disaster," Britain’s Development Minister Andrew Mitchell said Sunday as he toured a British field hospital in Türkoğlu, a district in Kahramanmaraş, the epicenter of the Feb. 6 earthquakes that left thousands dead.
“The global community should express very strong support in all the different phases of this operation," Mitchell told Anadolu Agency (AA). “Türkiye has many friends, with Britain in the lead among them.”
Mitchell’s remarks echoed similar statements for the past two weeks from many other officials currently working in Türkiye’s southeast providing humanitarian aid and relief to the victims across 11 cities struck by the tremors.
The death toll has risen steadily since the 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes in the region, hitting 41,156 on Monday as injuries topped 108,000. While Türkiye has begun winding down rescue work in its stricken provinces, search efforts have continued in nearly 40 buildings in two cities; more than 6,000 containers have been set up, alongside thousands of tents to temporarily house the displaced. Authorities have also evacuated over 460,900 people from the disaster zone, the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) informed.
The U.K. has been by Türkiye's side from the very beginning, Mitchell said Sunday, sending vital supplies and a 77-member rescue team just days after the tragedy.
Mitchell pointed out that 150 members of the British team are working on the ground, including in the field hospital and emergency medical clinics.
He described the situation in Türkiye's quake-hit areas as "absolutely appalling."
"It is quite extraordinary driving through the affected areas to see the scale of destruction. I have never seen anything like it," he said.
On rescue and relief efforts, Mitchell said the "international response has been extremely good."
"I'm impressed by how so many friends of Türkiye, and people who are not so close to Türkiye, have come here to support the rescue effort," he said.
The first phase of the quake relief efforts is now “heading towards an end,” Mitchell said, noting the next phase is “trying to deal with health and safety, as well as shelter issues.”
Britain has sent 35,000 thermal blankets, 2,500 tents, dignity kits and hygiene kits, designed to help in the current stage of the operation, and an extensive medical team on the site is “doing everything it can” to help people whose health has been harmed in one way or another.
Mitchell met staff and patients at the field hospital, which has been set up in the courtyard of a severely damaged public hospital and where more than 2,700 patients have been treated in less than a week.
The facility has Turkish teams, British civilian medics, and military doctors and personnel working together.
Earlier this week, Mitchell also unveiled a 25 million pound ($30 million) aid package to support quake victims in both Türkiye and Syria, where at least 5,900 people have been killed in several northwestern regions.
Asked about how the U.K. plans to support Türkiye in the longer term, he said Britain "will be at the side of the United Nations."
"The U.N. has announced that they are drawing down $50 million (TL 943.43 million) from the CERF fund," he said, referring to the Central Emergency Respond Fund set up by the U.N. in 2005.
"This is designed to help in emergencies. Britain has set up the CERF fund ... we are a very big contributor and will be very pleased to see the fund deployed through the U.N., along with all the other support that is going in to try and make sure those who are in these places get help."
On bilateral ties, Mitchell hailed Türkiye and the U.K. as "closest of friends."
"We have strong political connections. We have developed connections. We have security connections. We are leading partners in NATO ... we are as close to Türkiye as anyone can be," he said.
The U.K.'s connection with Türkiye was evident in the British people's "affection and love and extraordinary support" for the call to raise funds for quake victims, he added. "British people, from their own pockets, have raised 85 million pounds ($102 million) ... and it shows the very close relationship which exists between Türkiye and Britain."
Bulgaria, Malta and Albania on Sunday too extended condolences to Türkiye over the disaster.
"The leaders of Bulgaria, Malta and Albania as well as Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidential Council's former member Bakir Izetbegovic called President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the phone to offer their condolences over the earthquake," the Presidency's Directorate of Communication said.
The Tripoli-based government in Libya dispatched its third cargo plane laden with 15 tons of aid materials collected under a donation campaign launched by the Government of National Accord (GNA) and Libyan citizens, officially raising the total amount of humanitarian and medical aid it sent so far to 262 tons.
In addition to previous shipments, Sunday’s cargo included medical materials and generators, as well as blankets and tents, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Tripoli Kenan Yılmaz informed.
Moreover, more than 90 tons of aid materials gathered by Libyan citizens were sent to Türkiye via ships last Thursday, Yılmaz said, thanking Libya for their close solidarity, cooperation and support.
Immediately after the disaster struck, the GNA deployed a 96-member rescue and medical crew and a 25-person Red Crescent team, as well as cash support of some $50 million.
The North African nation did not overlook Syria, in the meantime, sending some five other planeloads of aid to the northwestern region so far, with the latest two taking off on Sunday.
More supplies continued pouring in from Russia for earthquake victims, totaling 200 tons as another cargo ship took off from the capital, Türkiye’s ambassador to Moscow said Sunday and thanked all donors and volunteers working to package the materials.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been among the nations who have been swift and keen in standing by both Turkish and Syrian people, sending its 118th cargo plane to the disaster zone on Sunday.
Initially, after the earthquake, the UAE, operating the world’s second-biggest cargo plane with a capacity to carry 150 tons, provided 515 tents capable of housing 33,000 people to Türkiye. The country’s president, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said $50 million of cash aid would be delivered.
Emirates planes have made 42 flights to Türkiye and 76 others to Syria so far to deliver a total of 3,375 tons of aid materials containing food, medical items and tents.
Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia, some 1,711,000 people raised close to $111 million as part of an official donation campaign that is still ongoing.
More donations were raised in Somalia’s South West state, some $100,000, for the victims of the earthquakes in Türkiye, according to a committee recently established for contributing to relief efforts.
"The president of Somalia's Southwest state, H.E Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed Laftagareen, has donated One Hundred Thousand Dollars to the earthquake victims' relief in the Republic of Türkiye," the Committee for the Relief of Türkiye, which was appointed by Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre, said in a brief statement on Twitter.
Expressing their condolences to the victims of the earthquakes, officials of the South West state presidency in Baidoa, the administrative capital of the state, confirmed the relief contribution to AA by phone.
The state is the first in Somalia to contribute to the relief campaign, which is in full swing in the country, but Mogadishu municipality donated $250,000 to the quake victims on Saturday.
Somalia's members of parliament also unanimously voted Saturday to donate 20% of their February salaries to the victims.
The Somali business community announced earlier that it donated $3 million to the relief campaign.
On Friday, Barre announced that the Somali government had donated $1 million to the victims of the earthquakes.
