Published February 11,2023
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The EU will carry on lending assist to Türkiye within the wake of Monday’s twin devastating earthquakes, stated the bloc’s prime disaster official.
“We are going to continue any support we can provide in order to help with the situation,” Janez Lenarcic, European commissioner for disaster administration, informed a press convention on Thursday in Gaziantep, one of many provinces hit arduous by Monday’s earthquake catastrophe.
The assist Europe is sending to Türkiye exhibits a “strong solidarity,” Lenarcic added, underlining that the EU has 38 rescue and medical models on the bottom.
“This adds to 1,600 rescue personnel. All of them are helping to find survivors. We’re working in close coordination with Turkish authorities,” Lenarcic added.
“Yesterday, Türkiye requested additional assistance and it has started to come. We are going to continue any support we can in order to help with the situation. We have decided to allocate €3 million to Türkiye as a first step,” he stated.
“We also know that people who have been affected by this earthquake. Helping Syrians is just as important as helping Turkish people. We’re doing our best.”
On sending assist to Syria, which stays below EU sanctions, Lenarcic stated that the sanctions don’t apply to humanitarian assist.
He stated the “sanctions are very carefully calibrated. Those sanctions target individuals and entities responsible for the oppression of the Syrian people. Those sanctions do not affect the principled delivery of humanitarian aid, which means that the aid is directly sent to those in need.”
“We have received requests from the Syrian authorities and we encouraged EU member states to provide that kind of assistance such as medical equipment. We need to make sure this aid gets to the people in need,” he added, underlining that the bloc is in coordination with UN World Food Program.
“We have also allocated €3.5 million for Syrians as a first step. Together with EU member states, the additional allocations of humanitarian funding since Monday due to the earthquake has now surpassed €50 million,” he stated, including: “More will come, I’m confident.”
“I have also met with first responders who are working in Gaziantep. I was impressed by the dedication,” he stated in reward of search and rescue staff working day and evening to save lots of the stricken.
“The clock is ticking and with every hour the possibility of finding someone alive decreases. As long as there’s the slightest hope that someone can be rescued from the rubble, the efforts will continue,” he stated.
Lenarcic additionally stated that Bab al-Hawa border crossing from Cilvegozu, Türkiye into Syria was closed for some time as a result of injury to the highway after the earthquake.
“Now that Turkish authorities have repaired it, it is now open again to reach northern Syria,” he stated, including that “if all border crossings were open, sending humanitarian aid would be much easier.”
“We are doing everything we can, and so are the authorities of Türkiye, as far as I can see. As this disaster is of such a magnitude, it is a big challenge,” he added.
“There will be next stage, rehabilitation, recovery, and reconstruction. The EU is committed to be in an active and leading role in this. The European Commission also organized a donor conference for Türkiye and Syria to be held in March.”
Source: www.anews.com.tr
