US 'ramping up' support for Türkiye, Syria quake victims

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US Agency for International Development (USAID) on Monday said it is expediting efforts to support earthquake victims in Türkiye and Syria, announcing the start of construction on a field hospital that will be able to provide assistance to 100 patients at a time.

“We at USAID are ramping up the delivery of humanitarian assistance to get the people of Türkiye and Syria the help they desperately need, and help to quickly recover,” Sarah Charles, who leads the agency’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, told reporters on a conference call.

“As you can imagine medical needs following the earthquakes are immense.”

In addition to working to support hospitals and other healthcare facilities in Türkiye and Syria, USAID said it and the Pentagon broke ground on Sunday on a field hospital in Türkiye’s Hatay province, which will have 100 beds and surgical and intensive care units.

Once completed, it will be operated by the Turkish Health Ministry, said Charles.

The devastating Feb. 6 twin earthquakes have claimed more than 44,300 lives in Türkiye’s southern region.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 quakes, centered in Kahramanmaras province, have impacted some 13 million people across 11 provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Elazig, and Sanliurfa.

Over 10,200 aftershocks have been reported, including a 5.6 magnitude earthquake that jolted Malatya on Monday, killing at least one person and injuring 110 others.

The quakes also caused widespread devastation in parts of northwestern Syria, where the death toll has climbed to at least 5,840.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

USAID has so far sent 10 planes with relief supplies for those whose homes were destroyed or damaged. In total, more than 1.8 million pounds of supplies have been delivered, including high thermal blankets, materials for temporary shelters, and basic home goods.