Kazakhstan intensifies humanitarian assistance to earthquake victims in Türkiye, Syria

Astana (UNA-OIC) – On February 6, 2023, H.E. Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), made an appeal to the Member States and the Humanitarian Institutions of the OIC and the international partners to kindly extend urgent humanitarian assistance in support to the victims of the grave earthquake that has caused many deaths in Türkiye and Syria.

In this regard, the Republic of Kazakhstan, as a responsible member of the international community and within the framework of the appeal of the leadership of the OIC, has taken urgent measures to provide the necessary assistance to the Turkish and Syrian people.

In accordance with the instructions of H.E. Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, immediately after the earthquake, on February 7 and 8, 2023, the rescuers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan flew from Almaty to Turkey to help in the aftermath of the disaster.

The squad included rescuers, cynological teams and doctors from the Center for Disaster Medicine of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan.

The employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations are armed with rescue equipment: hydraulic and pneumatic tools, hydraulic jacks, pneumatic jacks, chippers, perforators, lighting devices, tents, a satellite terminal, a frame module, special vehicles.

The group is equipped with both the necessary equipment and experienced rescuers with many years of experience in rescue operations.

In addition, on February 8, 2023, in accordance with the Decree of the President of Kazakhstan, the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan allocated 1 million US dollars to the Republic of Turkey as humanitarian aid.

Also, on behalf of the country’s leadership, a decision was made to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Syria affected by the devastating earthquake. Humanitarian aid was transferred through the Islamic Organization for Food Security.

For these purposes, more than 160 million tenge (around 350 thousand USD) has been allocated from the republican budget. Assistance in the form of food, warm clothes, tents and bedding with a total weight of 50 tons was delivered to the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic by special aircrafts.

With the assistance of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Lebanon and the Consulate of Kazakhstan in Syria, the Director General of the Islamic Organization for Food Security personally handed over the humanitarian cargo to the authorized representatives of Syria in Aleppo.


 

Source link