EU sends search and rescue teams to Turkey following deadly earthquake

Search and rescue groups from throughout the European Union are being dispatched to Turkey on Monday following a devastating earthquake.

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake, which struck shortly after 04:00 AM native time close to the western Turkish metropolis of Gaziantep, has to this point claimed the lives of over 2,600 individuals within the nation and neighbouring Syria.

“We stand in full solidarity with the individuals of Türkiye and Syria after the lethal earthquake that hit this morning. We mourn with the households of the victims,” European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen mentioned.

“Europe’s assist is already on the way in which and we stand able to proceed serving to in any means we will,” she added.

Over a dozen EU member states have to this point responded to Turkey’s name for help via the EU Civil Safety Mechanism, the European Fee mentioned in an announcement.

City search and rescue groups are being mobilised from Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania with Hungary, Italy, Spain, Malta and Slovakia additionally providing their help.

The EU’s Copernicus satellite tv for pc system has additionally been activated to offer native authorities with emergency mapping companies.

Excessive Consultant Josep Borrell and Commissioner for Disaster Administration Janez Lenarčič mentioned the bloc’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) is “in direct contact with the authorities in Turkey to coordinate additional assist if wanted”.

“The EU can be able to assist these affected in Syria, which has additionally reported casualties, via its humanitarian help programmes.

“Our ideas are with all those that have misplaced family members and the courageous first responders working to avoid wasting lives,” they added.

Wopke Hoekstra, the Dutch overseas minister, explained on Twitter that the Dutch workforce consists of police and army personnel, first help responders and firefighters. 

The French foreign ministry meanwhile said earlier than 12:00 CET that its rescue staff would “be leaving within the subsequent few hours.” 

Turkey is among the 33 nations that take part within the EU Civil Safety Mechanism alongside the bloc’s 27 nations and Norway, Iceland, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. However its assist may be requested by any nation on this planet whose personal nationwide emergency sources are overwhelmed by a catastrophe and want additional help.

Fee spokesperson Balazs Ujvari instructed reporters on Monday that, not like Turkey, Syria has not made a request for help via the mechanism.

Among the areas affected by the earthquake in Syria are managed by authorities forces however others are held by the opposition. 

“What we will do now’s to function via our humanitarian help coverage. Clearly, the EU and its member states are collectively the most important supply of humanitarian help for Syria.

“We have now been in contact with our companion organisations on the bottom and from the conversations that we’ve got had with them, it transpired that they’ll channel a number of the present humanitarian help to the areas affected by the earthquake in Syria, which could be very a lot welcomed by the Fee. 

“And, in fact, we’re additionally taking a look at the opportunity of making out there further humanitarian help particularly to handle the implications of the earthquake in Syria,” he added.

The EU has supplied €27 billion in humanitarian help for Syria since 2011, together with €150 million in 2022.