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Pakistan's Premier Multilingual News Agency

Turkey thanked Pakistan for its humanitarian aid

The Turkish ambassador thanked Pakistan's government and people for providing humanitarian aid in the wake of devastating earthquake.

Islamabad, 22 February 2023 (GNP): Dr. Mehmet Paçaci, the Turkish Ambassador, thanked Pakistan’s government and people on Tuesday for providing humanitarian aid in the wake of his nation’s devastating earthquake.

Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Sanliurfa, and Elazig were among the 11 provinces that were damaged by the earthquake, which was centered in the Kahramanmaras province and rocked the Southern Turkey.

One of the worst earthquake disasters to ever occur in the 20th century. The devastation was significant, and many buildings fell, he said. He stated that neighboring nations like Syria and Lebanon were also impacted by the earthquakes.

According to the ambassador, two more powerful quakes with magnitudes 6-4 and 5-8 struck the Hatay province yesterday, leaving fresh injuries and losses. The devastating earthquakes have caused at least 41,000 fatalities and 105,000 injuries as of this writing.

Read Also: PM Shehbaz visits earthquake-stricken Turkish people

He said that more than 250,000 search and rescue workers were currently on the ground, and that the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency-AFAD was in charge of organizing their efforts.

Dr. Mehmet Paçaci stated that approximately 5,000 personnel from 59 countries were on the ground for search and rescue efforts, and as many as 102 countries had offered assistance.

He said that the Pakistani government and people were among the first to react to the earthquake calamity. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif communicated with the Turkish government from the beginning, and his recent trip to Adiyaman was highly significant for the Turkiye people.

The Envoy added that the PM also stated that Türkiye would receive all the support and assistance available to help the people in its earthquake-affected regions mend their wounds.

Lauding other government of Pakistan initiatives, he said the initial delivery of about 8,000 blankets and 4,000 winterized tents to the earthquake-hit areas were commendable steps. He also praised the opening of a bank account to collect relief funds for Turkiye.

He stated that around 3,000 winterized tents and 25,000 blankets were travelling by road to Türkiye. More than 4,000 winterized tents will be delivered to Turkey on chartered cargo planes this week and next week.

He said that a sea bridge would be necessary in addition to the airway and road being positioned. In the first week of March, a Pakistani Navy ship carrying 3,500 tents would depart from Karachi Port and travel for 13 days to reach Türkiye-Mersin Port.

Dr. Mehmet Paçaci expressed the expectation that Pakistan, the world’s top producer of tents, would give his nation the essential winterized tents.

He said that on the first day of the tragedy, 84 USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) teams, including army soldiers and 1122 rescue teams, were sent to Türkiye, and that they were among the first USAR teams to arrive in the earthquake-affected districts.

After 137 hours, they managed to pull 28 survivors from the rubble, including a 10-year-old boy. “They have saved many lives,” he said.

Many calls and letters of support are coming to us from all over Pakistan, including the different provinces and social classes.

Universities and Pakistani NGOs (non-governmental organizations) are also in touch with our embassies and general consulates in Pakistan.

“We deeply sense their prayers, and we trust that with their amazing help, we will overcome this catastrophe, he added.”

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