Saudi Arabia has planned to establish 3,000 temporary houses for the victims of two deadly earthquakes that jolted Türkiye and Syria last week.
Saudi Arabia “is studying the construction of 3,000 temporary houses in quake-hit areas in Türkiye and Syria,” Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah, head of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, told Al Ekhbariya television.
He said the centre has already distributed thousands of tents to shelter the quake victims in the two countries.
“We will continue to help those affected by the earthquake disaster in Syria and Türkiye for weeks and perhaps months due to the great scale of the tragedy,” Al Rabeeah said.
Following the earthquake disaster, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center launched a donation drive on February 8 for the quake victims in the two countries.
Riyadh to continue support
Meanwhile, Mohammed Alharbi, the Saudi charge d’affaires, in Ankara has said that the kingdom will continue its support for victims “as long as it is needed.”
Alharbi said Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman started the kingdom’s support for the victims by ordering the operation of “an air bridge immediately after the earthquakes to deliver humanitarian aid.”
He said that the kingdom “participated with a large team and has so far flown seven planes through the air bridge, and it continues as long as there is a need for that and as long as people need help and assistance.”
Urgent aid made up of medical supplies, food, and tents along with rescue and research teams came from various sources such as the King Salman Relief and Humanitarian Aid Center, Saudi Civil Defense, and the Saudi Red Crescent.
Through the air bridge, a team equipped with top technologies was also dispatched “to search for survivors and help save them,” the Saudi diplomat said.
$96M donation collected
More than $96 million (362 million Saudi riyals) have been collected so far as part of the drive, according to the Saudi government’s Sahem Platform, which is responsible for the donation campaign.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a government and people are always ready to help those affected, and this is what the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia always does in providing relief to the affected people, especially friendly countries such as Türkiye,” Alharbi explained.
Riyadh has also dispatched seven planes loaded with relief materials to Türkiye, along with 95 rescue workers, 55 medical personnel, and two delegations representing the Saudi Red Crescent and the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center.
More than 35,418 people were killed and 105,505 others injured in two powerful earthquakes that rocked southern Türkiye on February 6, according to the latest official figures.
In Syria, at least 5,814 people have been killed in the disaster.
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