Doha, February 12 (QNA) - The devastating earthquake that hit Turkiye and Syria was not only a test of patience and perseverance, but it was also a test of sincere and true brotherhood.
Since the first moments of the disaster in Turkiye and Syria, the State of Qatar emerged at the forefront of countries that were in solidarity with the people of Turkiye and Syria through immediate contacts with officials in the Republic of Turkey, offering condolences and affirming that it stands by the Turkish and Syrian people in this humanitarian disaster.
The Qatari position to support those affected by the earthquake and the continuous communication and coordination between officials in the two countries reflects solidarity between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Turkiye and Qatar's keenness to help the Turkish and Syrian people to overcome this ordeal.
In implementation of the directives of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, all concerned agencies and institutions moved to provide all forms of support and assistance to confront the earthquake disaster and its repercussions, launching the first flights of the airlift allocated by the State of Qatar to support the Republic of Turkiye to confront the disaster of the earthquake that hit southern Turkey.
The first flights of the airlift were accompanied by a team from the Qatar International Search and Rescue Group of the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) equipped with specialized mechanisms for search and rescue operations, in addition to a field hospital, relief aid, tents, and winter supplies.
Three field hospitals, relief aid, tents, medical supplies, and foodstuffs were sent, in addition to 12 cars. Furthermore, 10,000 mobile homes were provided to alleviate the suffering of the earthquake victims, which will be gradually transferred to the affected areas as soon as possible, in addition to aid from various organizations such as the Qatar Red Crescent, which launched an urgent relief campaign to provide humanitarian aid worth USD 10 million, and Qatar Charity, whose teams immediately began working through its offices in Turkiye and northern Syria.
The Qatar International Search and Rescue Group continue their tasks in establishing and managing the coordination cell for the operations of search and rescue teams for international organizations in the Turkish province of Gaziantep, and the Group is considered the main point of contact in the region.
The Qatar International Search and Rescue Group undertakes this task based on a mandate from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), due to its accumulated experience in evacuations and rescue operations as a result of disasters and similar crises in many countries and regions of the world.
The Qatar International Search and Rescue Group is aware of the importance of the role it plays in helping in this disaster, and it is racing against time to recover survivors and victims.
In coordination between all concerned agencies in the country and their counterparts in Turkey, the Qatar Red Crescent launched an urgent relief service for the benefit of those affected by the earthquake in Turkiye and northern Syria. In this regard, Qatar Red Crescent activated its operations room at its headquarters in an immediate response to this catastrophe.
The Qatar Red Crescent focuses on providing the necessary needs at this stage, especially food and non-food items, such as tents, blankets, and personal hygiene packages. It has a reserve stock of relief materials ready for shipment, and it called on the Qatari society, institutions, and individuals, to move urgently and provide relief for the quake-affected brothers.
The efforts of the Qatar Red Crescent continue to provide the necessary support to the people of Syria and Turkey, with the aim of relieving them and helping them overcome the ordeal.
In this context, the field staff of the Qatar Red Crescent in northern Syria began the process of distributing the first batch of urgent relief aid, with a total of 4,800 food baskets, for the benefit of the displaced Syrian families most affected by the earthquake.
Qatar Charity's field teams are currently distributing urgent relief aid to those affected by the earthquake that hit southern Turkiye and the Syrian interior, in conjunction with its launch of an urgent relief campaign "relief the earthquake victims - Turkiye and Syria." Qatar Charity said, in a statement, that in response to the urgent humanitarian needs, 27,000 hot meals have been distributed equally between the Syrian interior and Turkiye to those affected by the earthquake with a total amount of QR 400,000.
A four trucks convoy moved from Doha towards the affected areas with medical supplies, first aid, clothes, and foodstuffs with a total value of more than QR 500,000. Preparations are currently underway to run 30 relief convoys that include food and non-food items at a value of QR 5.1 million, bringing the total amount of the first aid phase to more than QR 6 million. Work is also underway to prepare a plan worth QR 21.9 million, which includes an urgent response worth QR 7.3 million and early recovery and reconstruction projects worth QR 14.6 million. Qatar Charity also shipped 13 tons of foodstuffs and nearly 4,000 blankets via the air bridge operated by the State of Qatar.
The Regulatory Authority for Charitable Activities (RACA) launched urgent relief campaign "Oun & Sanad" for those affected by the earthquake that struck southern Turkiye and northern Syria, in partnership with Qatar Charity and the Qatar Red Crescent Society, and in cooperation with the Qatar Media Corporation (represented by Qatar TV), with the aim of providing relief to those affected in both countries.
This campaign is also in response to the position of the State of Qatar that supports the Syrian and Turkish peoples, which aims to collect donations from Qatari society to help the brothers in this ordeal before purchasing the necessary needs such as urgent relief of medicine, shelter, and food and non-food items.
The Regulatory Authority for Charitable Activities called on all segments of society to support Syria and Turkiye by donating to the campaign. The "Oun & Sanad" campaign collected QR 168 million for those affected by the earthquake in Turkiye and Syria, live on Qatar TV.
The Regulatory Authority in partnership with Qatar Charity and the Qatar Red Crescent has begun accelerated arrangements with the aim of preparing to extend a helping hand to Syria and Turkiye to relieve those affected by the consequences of what they have been subjected to, as support convoys have begun to arrive to Turkiye and the Syrian interior.
The "Oun & Sanad" campaign showed the authentic nature of the people of Qatar, who participated strongly in the campaign to donate to the victims of the devastating earthquake.
The willingness of the people of Qatar to donate to the campaign reinforces the Qatari leadership in the humanitarian field, while the Qatari popular donation shows that the Qatari society is a humane one, in light of the keenness of both young people and adults to show solidarity with those affected by the earthquake, enabling the donations to reach tens of millions of riyals.
(QNA)