Patrick Wintour, the Guardian’s diplomatic editor, reports on further international aid developments following Monday’s earthquakes:The UK said it was sending 76 UK search & rescue specialists, four search dogs and rescue equipment to arrive on Monday evening. The UK is also sending an emergency medical team to assess the situation on the ground. Ministers added they were in contact with the UN on emergency humanitarian support to those affected in Syria.
Turkey’s neighbour Greece and other countries in the region have offered to send immediate assistance to help with the rescue effort. “Greece is mobilizing its resources and will assist immediately,” Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis wrote in a tweet.
Egypt’s foreign ministry, in a statement early Monday, offered help to both Turkey and Syria. Residents in Cairo felt tremors from the quake.
French President Emmanuel Macron said France stood ready to provide emergency aid: “Our thoughts are with the bereaved families,” Macron tweeted.
In Germany, the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) is preparing to deliver emergency generators, tents and blankets. Emergency shelters and water treatment systems could also be provided, the German interior minister Nancy Faeser said.
Sir Stephen O’Brien, the former UN humanitarian coordinator, said “Turkey has a sophisticated and experienced team of earthquake experts. That will not be the case in Syria, far from it”. But he added “in Syria it is a conflict zone and we have not got clarity as to about whether the UN through OCHA has consent to go into the country”.
He said in war torn Idlib, where the White Helmets is active, there is little help. “I very much hope there will be no objections to offer help. This is too big for any one country to handle. We have get good command and control on the ground to save lives.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/ ... op-of-blog43 minutes ago 4.9 magnitude, 10 km depth
Göksun, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey
51 minutes ago 5.0 magnitude, 17 km depth
Nurhak, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey
1 hour ago 4.7 magnitude, 10 km depth
Çelikhan, Adıyaman, Turkey
1 hour ago 4.9 magnitude, 13 km depth
Çelikhan, Adıyaman, Turkey
1 hour ago 4.8 magnitude, 10 km depth
Nurhak, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey
1 hour ago 6.0 magnitude, 10 km depth
Göksun, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey