Guwahati: The death toll from the earthquakes in Turkey and northwest Syria has surpassed 41,000 as rescue attempts are still on, according to Voice of America (VOA).
Two ladies were recovered from the rubble on Thursday in Kahramanmaras in southern Turkey and a woman and two children were saved nine days after the earthquake in Antakya. The Antakya rescue took place 228 hours after the earthquake, according to a report by VOA citing the state-run Anadolu news agency.
Authorities claim that millions of earthquake survivors require humanitarian aid because many of them were left homeless during the winter’s bitter cold. Rescues are currently extremely rare.
In these trying times, the Indian Army is aiding Syria and Turkey. Recently, aid supplies were sent to Aleppo, Syria, by the Indian army unit stationed as part of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF).
The material included rations and medicine from the government of India as well as contributions from the international community.
“#IndianArmy team deployed in @UNDOF delivers relief material to Aleppo, #Syria. This included rations & medicines from Government of #India as well as contributions from the international community,” Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADG PI), Indian Army tweeted on Thursday.
Turkey and Syria were given life-saving humanitarian medical assistance through “Operation Dost” by the Union Health Ministry.
Taking to Twitter, Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya said, “India is helping Syria and Turkey with the concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. @MoHFW_India provided life-saving emergency medicines, protective items, medical equipment, critical care drugs, etc as part of India’s efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to Turkey and Syria.”
Turkey and Syria were devastated by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake on February 6.
In a previous statement, the Union Health Ministry said that emergency assistance supplies, including critical care equipment, protective gear, and life-saving medications, had been quickly organised and sent to Turkey and Syria.
At the Hindon airbase, three truckloads of relief supplies were arranged, including goods for protection and life-saving emergency medications.
The shipment contained 5,945 tonnes of emergency relief supplies, including 27 life-saving medications, two different types of protective gear, and three different types of critical care equipment, totaling a consignment’s estimated worth of Rs 2 crore.
Further supplies for both Turkey and Syria were mobilised on February 10. According to a statement from the Union Health ministry, the shipment for Syria contained 72 critical care medications, consumables and protective gear weighing 7.3 tonnes and costing Rs 1.4 crore.