Live updates: Aid pours in as death toll from Türkiye quakes climbs

Saturday, February 18, 2023

Aid being collected from across the world continues to pour into Türkiye to provide support to thousands of people rendered homeless following two massive earthquakes in southeastern Türkiye and northern Syria.

The combined death toll in the two countries has crossed the grim mark of 46,000. 

On the disaster's13th day, the death toll in Türkiye rose to 40,642, making it the deadliest disaster in the country in 100 years. 

The toll in Syria has reached 5,814, taking the combined death toll in both countries to at least 46,456. 

Here is how you can help the earthquake victims.

Following are the latest updates:

0200 GMT — First ladies extend solidarity to Turkish first lady over earthquake deaths

First ladies around the world have extended messages of solidarity and condolence to Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan after devastating earthquakes struck southeastern Türkiye.

US' Jill Biden, France's Brigitte Macron, Paraguay's Silvana Abdo, Nigeria's Aisha Buhari, Gabon's Sylvia Bongo, Croatia's Sanja Music Milanovic, South Korea's Kim Keon-hee, Uzbekistan's Ziroatkhon Hoshimova, Latvia's Andra Levite, Kyrgyzstan's Aigul Japarova, TRNC's Sibel Tatar, Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, mother of Qatar's emir, and others expressed condolences for those killed and wished recovery to the injured in separate calls with Erdogan.

2000 GMT - Over 830,000 buildings assessed for damage in Türkiye

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay has said some 830,806 buildings in the earthquake zone were assessed and 407,786 were found to have suffered no damage.

He said 105,000 buildings were found either completely damaged or severely damaged, or fit for demolition.

"Currently, a total of 181,423 people, including 76,097 security personnel, 64,728 gendarmes, and 41,149 members of Turkish Armed Forces are operating on the ground," he added. The numbers didn't include the Coast Guard.

Oktay also stressed that the restoration of cultural assets is among the priorities of the government after the quakes, saying: "Our goal is to complete the examination of these assets within the next week."

"A total of 433 artifacts have been examined so far. Among them, 121 were severely damaged, 66 moderately damaged, and 57 slightly damaged, 189 of them are safe," Oktay said.

Türkiye quake survivor narrates how he lived off cigarettes under debris

A Turkish earthquake survivor who was pulled alive from rubble in southeastern Adiyaman province with a partially-smoked cigarette in his mouth has spoken of his miraculous escape and time spent under the debris.

Ziya Soner Tugtekin, 60, who was rescued with his son 56 hours after the quake said he turned to his cigarette for comfort while he was under the debris of an apartment building.

"I don't know how many days we waited under the rubble. I don't know how this time passed. I had my tobacco with me, I was rolling and smoking tobacco when no one came," Tugtekin told Anadolu Agency.

"When I was pulled out of the rubble, I had the cigarette in my hand, they told me to throw it away. I didn't because I came to life with a cigarette," he added.

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'It slid down 30 metres': Türkiye quakes bisect Demirkopru village

The small, grey house in southeastern Türkiye that once looked out onto the road might appear untouched by last week's huge earthquakes but it is now one floor lower.

Surrounding the building in Demirkopru village, home to 1,000 people, are bits of debris floating in murky water, broken pavements and lopsided houses.

The February 6 earthquakes and aftershocks that ravaged swathes of Türkiye and Syria and killed more than 46,000 people has split Demirkopru in two.

"The houses sank four metres," said Mahir Karatas, a 42-year-old farmer and owner of the grey house. "The ground went up and down."

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'Please find a piece of her': Prayers to find bodies under quake debris

As his bulldozer claws at the rubble of buildings destroyed by this month's earthquake in Türkiye, operator Akin Bozkurt consoles himself that by finding bodies he gives family members the chance to have a funeral for loved ones and a grave where they can mourn.

"Would you pray to find a dead body?" he asked. "We do...to deliver the body to the family."

Bozkurt, 42, travelled to Kahramanmaras, the southern Turkish city closest to the epicentre of the devastating quake 12 days ago from his home town of Kayseri, 250 km north, to help with the demolition of destroyed buildings.

"You recover a body from under tonnes of rubble. Families are waiting with hope...they want to have a burial ceremony. They want a grave," Bozkrut said.

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1932 GMT - International cricketers say they stand with earthquake victims of Türkiye

International cricketers participating in Pakistan's premier cricket league have expressed solidarity with the earthquake victims.

The cricketers, including Pakistan's captain Babar Azam, delivered solidarity messages during the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Azam, the world's top player in the Twenty20 format, said that the cricketing community across the world feels the pain of earthquake victims. 

1915 GMT - $7.9M raised for quake victims in quake-hit Türkiye, Syria

Two donation campaigns in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain have collected $7.9 million for the victims of the earthquake disaster.

A relief campaign launched in the UAE by Sheikha Jawaher bint Muhammad Al Qasimi, the wife of the Sharjah ruler, collected $4.2 million (15.6 million dirhams) for the quake victims in the first three hours of its launch, the state news agency WAM reported.

More than $3.7 million were also raised as part of a donation campaign in Bahrain for the quake victims in the two countries, according to the state news agency BNA. 

1858 GMT - Palestinians launch new donation campaign for quake victims in Türkiye, Syria

Palestinians have staged a new donation campaign for the earthquake victims as "a humanitarian message to our people in Syria and Türkiye,” said Abdo Idris, the head of the Hebron Chamber of Commerce.

He said the chamber, an organiser of the campaign, has begun to communicate with businessmen to collect donations for the quake victims. 

Last week, the Palestinian Waqf Ministry launched a donation campaign that managed to collect nearly $1.37 million for the quake victims. Palestinians also sent two rescue missions to join search efforts for survivors.

1815 GMT - US secretary of state to visit quake-hit Türkiye on February 19-20

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will pay a two-day visit to Türkiye to “show solidarity and convey his condolences” following the twin earthquakes earlier this month.

Blinken will visit Türkiye's earthquake-stricken region, where US relief operations are also underway, on February 19-20 according to a statement from the Turkish Foreign Ministry. 

1757 GMT - G7 extends condolences to Türkiye, Syria

The G7 countries have expressed their "deepest condolences" to the people of Türkiye and Syria over the deadly earthquakes. 

"The G7 members are working together with partners to ensure needed humanitarian, crisis response, and technical assistance are made available unfettered," said a joint statement by the G7 foreign ministers and the EU foreign policy chief.

The statement, released by Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, as chair of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting at the Munich Security Conference, also underlined the importance of "full implementation" of the decision to expand humanitarian access to northwestern Syria.

1505 GMT - Death toll from powerful twin earthquakes rises

At least 40,642 people have been killed by the two strong earthquakes that jolted Türkiye on February 6, the country’s disaster management agency said.

The quakes were followed by over 5,700 aftershocks, Yunus Sezer, head of the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), told reporters.

“Search and rescue efforts will be largely completed as of Sunday evening,” Sezer said, adding that a total of 11,488 international search and rescue units from 80 countries came to the disaster zone to provide support.


Noting that evacuations from the earthquake zone to other provinces continued, Sezer said: "More than 430,000 people have so far been evacuated.” He added that 313,720 victims were being hosted in public guesthouses, hotels and other accommodation facilities.

1440 GMT - Denmark calls for closer EU-Türkiye cooperation after quakes

Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen has called for closer cooperation between the EU and Türkiye following the deadly earthquakes.

“We, alongside many other European countries, have decided to support Türkiye with humanitarian aid. This is time you should prove your friendship,” Rasmussen said during the Munich Security Conference.

The top Danish diplomat said besides stepping up humanitarian relief for the earthquake victims, the EU should also take into account possible long-term implications of this disaster.

“For that, we need close cooperation. We have to ensure that we have close relations in terms of trade and investments, in order to make it possible for Türkiye to regain the losses.”

1258 GMT – Austria expresses full solidarity with Türkiye after deadly quakes
The Austrian Foreign Minister has voiced full solidarity with Türkiye, saying "the Turkish people can count on us, our solidarity," after the deadly earthquakes earlier this month.
"Our hearts go out to all the families who have suffered, who have lost loved ones," Alexander Schallenberg told Anadolu Agency during the Munich Security Conference.
"This is a catastrophe, and there's one thing which is needed, and it's full solidarity."

1216 GMT – Somali lawmakers to donate 20% of their salaries to quake victims in Türkiye

Members of Somalia's parliament have voted unanimously to donate 20 percent of their February salaries to victims of the twin earthquakes in Türkiye.

The parliament session presided over by the second Deputy Speaker Abdullahi Omar Abshir was attended by 150 lawmakers.

Abshir proposed that members of parliament vote after meeting with Speaker Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur, who also agreed to participate in the ongoing relief campaign for earthquake victims in Türkiye.

1158 GMT – UAE, Saudi Arabia, continue humanitarian aid to quake victims in Türkiye, Syria

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia have continued their humanitarian assistance for the victims of the earthquakes.

The UAE dispatched 39 aid planes to Türkiye and 58 planes to Syria carrying 2,624 tons of foodstuffs, medical supplies, and tents since the disaster, the state news agency WAM reported.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia sent its 12th aid plane to Gaziantep Airport in southern Türkiye carrying 75 tons of foodstuffs and shelter and medical materials.

The oil-rich kingdom also sent two aid planes and 10 trucks loaded with 80 tons of food and shelter supplies for quake victims in northern Syria.

1122 GMT – Turkish-American doctor, politician Mehmet Oz visits earthquake survivors

Mehmet Oz, a renowned Turkish-American heart surgeon and US politician, has visited hospitalised survivors of recent massive earthquakes in southern Türkiye.

Oz, who accompanied cardiovascular surgeon Halit Yerebakan from Istanbul, visited the Mustafa Kemal University Research and Application Hospital.

Visiting the relatives of patients, he also answered questions by survivors and their families.

1002 GMT – Ghanaian footballer Christian Atsu's body found in Hatay province of Türkiye

Ghanaian football player Christian Atsu was found dead after going missing in the major twin earthquakes in Türkiye, his agent and club confirmed.

"It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce to all well-wishers that sadly Christian Atsu’s body was recovered this morning. My deepest condolences go to his family and loved ones."

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their prayers and support," Nana Sechere, an agent for the 31-year-old footballer, stated on Twitter.

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0912 GMT – Two people rescued in Türkiye's Hatay province 13 days after quake

Two people were rescued from the rubble in Türkiye's southern Hatay province, more than 296 hours after the first of two back-to-back earthquakes hit the region.

Search and rescue teams pulled the survivors out from the debris of a collapsed building in the district of Antakya, in yet another miraculous rescue on the 13th day after the disaster.

Initially, two parents and their 12-year-old child were removed alive from the wreckage of Kanatli Apartment Building. But, the child later died despite the provision of first medical aid.

Samir Muhammed Accar and his wife Ragda were taken to a hospital by ambulance. 

The couple's two other children also lost their lives in the same wreck.

0800 GMT – Turkish president calls young woman found alive after spending 248 hours under rubble

In a phone call, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wished a speedy recovery to Aleyna Olmez, a young woman who was pulled alive from the debris of a collapsed building 248 hours after severe earthquakes hit southern Türkiye. 

Rescuers on Thursday found Olmez, 17, alive under the rubble in the Dulkadiroglu district of the Kahramanmaras province. She was then taken to a hospital in the capital Ankara. 

Expressing his happiness over Aleyna's good health, Erdogan said he will visit her as soon as he arrives in Ankara, according to the country's Communications Directorate.

0422 GMT — 35 US congressmen send letter to USAID, urging support for Türkiye, Syria

Thirty-five congressmen have sent a letter to the US Agency for International Development (USAID), urging continued assistance to Türkiye and Syria in the aftermath of deadly earthquakes hitting the two countries. 

Led by Democratic Representative Gerry Connolly from Virginia, who is a senior member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, the bipartisan letter urged USAID Administrator Samantha Power for continued support to earthquake-hit regions.

“We commend USAID and the United States government’s swift response to the humanitarian crisis,” they said.

0240 GMT — Ecuadorians collect tons of aid materials for earthquake victims in Türkiye 

Tonnes of aid materials were collected in Ecuador for earthquake victims in Türkiye following a relief drive launched by the Turkish Embassy in Quito.

Ecuadorians donated more than 15 tons to the embassy and warehouses of Turkish companies Donatella Fruit and Yilport in the cities of Guayaquil and Machala.

The Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry and the country’s Disaster and Risk Management Secretariat donated 17 tons of materials, consisting of food packages for 2,000 families, 1,000 blankets and 1,546 pairs of boots.

2049 GMT — 60 additional tonnes of aid being sent from US

An additional tranche of 60 tonnes of aid is being sent to Türkiye from the US to help alleviate the needs of earthquake victims, the Turkish embassy in Washington has said.

The donations are being transported by an Atlas Air 747-8F plane, with logistical assistance from Turkish Airlines, and fuel from Boeing.

Sinan Ertay, the deputy chief of mission at the Turkish embassy in Washington, said humanitarian assistance continues to pour in from across the US, especially the Turkish-American community.

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