Key Points
- A 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook Türkiye and Syria on 6 February.
- The disaster is thought to have left millions of people homeless across both nations.
- Among the aid being sent from around the world, Qatar is donating thousands of cabins used during the 2022 World Cup.
In the two weeks since the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked Türkiye and Syria, there has been an outpouring of support from individuals, governments, and organisations all around the world.
Amongst the donations of money, food, water, medical supplies, and other typical kinds of humanitarian aid, Qatar has pledged to send 10,000 mobile housing units for those .
The units had been used to help supplement fan accommodation shortages during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
"In view of the urgent needs in Türkiye and Syria, we have taken the decision to ship our cabins and caravans to the region, providing much-needed and immediate support to the people of Türkiye and Syria," a Qatari official told Reuters last week.
The first shipment of 350 units was sent to on 12 February. Qatar has also provided Türkiye and Syria with food, medical equipment, tents, and search and rescue personnel.
The Turkish government hasn't confirmed the exact number of people who have been left homeless as a result of the quake, but President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said last week that around 2.2 million had been evacuated or left the affected provinces.
The United Nations estimated Syria's homeless to be in the millions.
How are other countries in the region helping?
Greece, Azerbaijan, and Bulgaria were among the first countries to respond to the quake, sending search and rescue personnel as well as humanitarian aid to Türkiye immediately after it hit.
In a sign of disaster diplomacy, a border crossing between Armenia and Türkiye was opened for the first time since 1988 to allow the passage of humanitarian aid.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Armenia's actions could boost efforts between the two nations to normalise their relations.
"Armenia has extended its hand of friendship, showed solidarity and cooperation with us in this difficult time ... We need to continue this solidarity," he said.
"The normalisation process in the southern Caucasus region is going on. We believe that our cooperation in the humanitarian field will support this process."
Syria's neighbours, including some which cut ties with the nation more than a decade ago over its bloody civil war, have also sent assistance in the wake of the disaster.
More than 100 planes carrying humanitarian aid have landed in Syria since the quake. About half of them were from the United Arab Emirates, which restored ties with Syria in late 2018.
"We cannot overlook expressing thanks to all the countries that stood by us since the first hours of the disaster from among our Arab brothers and our friends," Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Thursday during his first televised speech following the quake.
"Their aid had a major impact on enhancing our ability to confront the difficult conditions at critical hours."
In Saudi Arabia's case, it was the first time it had sent planes carrying aid to Syria in more than 10 years.
Through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, Saudi Arabia has also pledged to build 3,000 temporary homes for those impacted by the quake in both Türkiye and Syria.
The organisation's general supervisor Dr Abdullah al-Rabeeah said the centre had 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," he told al-Ekhbariyah TV last week.
More than 45,000 people across Türkiye and Syria have been confirmed dead following the quake.
With Reuters and AFP
