A worldwide response is underway after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake and major aftershocks devastated large swathes of Turkey and Syria early Monday, decimating buildings and killing more than 2,300 people.
The pre-dawn earthquake shook large areas of Turkey and Syria, reducing buildings to rubble. Hundreds of people were still believed to be trapped under the rubble, and the toll was expected to rise as rescuers searched the wreckage piles in cities and towns across the area.
President Biden tweeted his condolences to those affected by the deadly earthquake and offered to send US aid to Turkey if needed.
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation caused by the earthquake in Turkiye and Syria,” Biden wrote on Twitter, referring to Turkey by his preferred official name.
7.8-magnitude EARTHQUAKE: OVER 2,300 DEATHS IN TURKEY AND SYRIA
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that an initial US response to Turkey is already underway as US-backed aid organizations in Syria are responding to the effects of the earthquakes across the country.
People and rescue teams try to reach residents trapped inside collapsed buildings in Adana, Turkey on Monday. (IHA Agency via AP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that Israel is sending search and rescue teams, along with medical teams, to help in both Turkey and Syria after receiving requests for help from the two nations.
“This is what we do around the world and this is what we do in areas close to us,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “Since a request has also been received to do this – for the many injured in the earthquake in Syria, I have given instructions that this also be done.”
A man searches for people at a destroyed building in Adana, Turkey on Monday, February 6, 2023. A powerful earthquake has knocked down several buildings in southeast Turkey and Syria and many casualties are feared. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
So far, more than 40 countries have offered to help Turkey, said the chairman of Turkey’s disaster management authority, Yunus Sezer.
While most of the international aid was directed to Turkey, Russia said it also planned to send assistance directly to its close ally, Syria, amid Western-led international isolation over the war in Ukraine.
7.8 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE HIT TURKEY MIDDLE EAST
Russian President Vladimir Putin told Syrian President Bashar Assad in a phone call that Moscow would deliver urgent aid and send rescuers.
Putin also sent a telegram to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to express his condolences and said that Russia is ready to “provide necessary assistance”.
Men search for people among the rubble at a destroyed building in Adana, Turkey on Monday, February 6, 2023. A powerful earthquake has knocked down several buildings in southeast Turkey and Syria and many are feared dead. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Britain is sending 76 search and rescue specialists with equipment and dogs, as well as an emergency medical team, to Turkey. The UK also says it is in contact with the United Nations to get support for victims in Syria.
Meanwhile, Japan’s foreign ministry says the country is sending a team of about 75 rescuers to Turkey to help with search and rescue operations.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement that the United Nations was “fully committed” to supporting the global response in both Turkey and Syria in “this hour of tragedy”.
“Our teams are on the ground to assess needs and provide assistance,” the statement said. “We are counting on the international community to help the thousands of families affected by this disaster, many of whom were already in desperate need of humanitarian aid in areas where access is a challenge.”
Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, a former Speaker of the House, tweeted that “Americans are ready to help.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also tweeted that the United States stands with Turkey and the Syrian people.
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Yonat Friling of Fox News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
