Which regional countries are sending aid to help Turkey-Syria earthquake victims?



Follow the latest on the earthquake in Turkey

The international community rushed to send aid to Turkey and Syria following a powerful earthquake that has left more than 6,000 people dead in the biggest natural disaster in the Middle East for decades.

The death toll is expected to rise as rescue operations continue to look for survivors and among the rubble of cities, towns and provinces in Turkey and Syria. So far, more than 8,000 people have been rescued.

The magnitude 7.8 quake hit Turkey and Syria early on Monday, toppling thousands of buildings including many apartment blocks, wrecking hospitals and leaving thousands homeless.

Below is some of the significant regional aid that has been pledged on day two of the crisis.

UAE

The UAE said on Tuesday it is sending $100 million in total to Syria and Turkey. President Sheikh Mohamed said the fund will be sent to victims of the earthquake.

Sheikh Mohamed ordered $50 million to be sent to support people in Turkey and $50 million to help those in Syria, state news agency Wam reported.

On Monday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, ordered humanitarian aid worth Dh50 million ($14 million) through the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives to help Syrian people affected by the earthquake.

The UAE also sent seven aid flights to help with search and rescue operations in both countries to evacuate citizens, two of which will land in Damascus.

Kuwait

Kuwait sent two military planes carrying aid on Tuesday and pledged to establish an air bridge that will include rescue equipment, medical and relief aid to both countries.

The government said the aid would be sent in co-ordination with the Red Crescent, the Ministry of Health and the Kuwaiti army.

The country's General Fire Force will also be assisting with disaster relief, having assisted firefighting efforts in Turkey, Greece and North Africa in 2021, it will lend equipment and assistance to help those trapped by debris.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman directed the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre to operate an air bridge and provide medical supplies, humanitarian relief and other logistical support to the disaster zones in both countries.

A public fundraising effort backed by the government will also be launched on the Sahem ("contribute") app, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Jordan

On orders of King Abdullah, a Jordanian Air Force plane left the country on Tuesday and headed towards Syria and Turkey.

The foreign ministry said that the plane is carrying a team of five doctors and 99 rescuers as well as “logistical and other equipment”.

It did not give details on the exact destination of the plane, or where it will land first.

The plane was dispatched “based on royal directions to help the families of the victims' of the earthquake”, the ministry said, referring to King Abdullah's instructions.

Iraq

Iraq's security forces have been delivering emergency aid to Syria since late on Monday.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani said an “air bridge” had opened to aid Syria and Turkey, sending urgent relief, including medical supplies and first aid. Iraq operates a small fleet of Hercules transport aircraft that can carry a substantial amount of aid.

Two Iraqi planes arrived in Damascus with 70 tonnes of relief supplies late on Monday.

Lebanon

The Lebanese Army said on Monday it is sending 15 engineers to Syria and 20 to Turkey to support rescue efforts.

Egypt

Egypt has pledged urgent humanitarian aid to Turkey.

President Abdel Fattah El Sisi pledged solidarity with the Turkish people and has offered assistance and humanitarian aid.

Mr El Sisi also telephoned Syrian President Bashar Al Assad on Tuesday to offer relief aid to victims of the earthquake, the Egyptian leader's office announced.

It said the President also offered his condolences to the victims of Monday's earthquake and his well wishes to the injured.

Tunisia

Tunisia said that it will be sending 14 tonnes of blankets, food and baby formula, as well as other donations gathered by the Tunisian Red Crescent, to Turkey and Syria following the earthquake.

A team of rescuers from the Tunisian civil protection force as well as volunteering doctors are also expected to head to both countries soon, according to state news agency TAP.

“Tunisia is fully ready to stand with its brothers in Syria and Turkey in this tragedy and will provide all necessary aid and assistance to overcome its repercussions,” Tunisian president Kais Saied said on the official presidency social media accounts.

The Sky Is Pink

Director: Shonali Bose

Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf

Three stars

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin

Director: Shawn Levy

Rating: 3/5

Confirmed bouts (more to be added)

Cory Sandhagen v Umar Nurmagomedov
Nick Diaz v Vicente Luque
Michael Chiesa v Tony Ferguson
Deiveson Figueiredo v Marlon Vera
Mackenzie Dern v Loopy Godinez

Tickets for the August 3 Fight Night, held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, went on sale earlier this month, through www.etihadarena.ae and www.ticketmaster.ae.

Company Profile

Company name: Namara
Started: June 2022
Founder: Mohammed Alnamara
Based: Dubai
Sector: Microfinance
Current number of staff: 16
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Family offices

Champion v Champion (PFL v Bellator)

Heavyweight: Renan Ferreira v Ryan Bader
Middleweight: Impa Kasanganay v Johnny Eblen
Featherweight: Jesus Pinedo v Patricio Pitbull
Catchweight: Ray Cooper III v Jason Jackson

Showcase Bouts
Heavyweight: Bruno Cappelozza (former PFL World champ) v Vadim Nemkov (former Bellator champ)
Light Heavyweight: Thiago Santos (PFL title contender) v Yoel Romero (Bellator title contender)
Lightweight: Clay Collard (PFL title contender) v AJ McKee (former Bellator champ)
Featherweight: Gabriel Braga (PFL title contender) v Aaron Pico (Bellator title contender)
Lightweight: Biaggio Ali Walsh (pro debut) v Emmanuel Palacios (pro debut)
Women’s Lightweight: Claressa Shields v Kelsey DeSantis
Featherweight: Abdullah Al Qahtani v Edukondal Rao
Amateur Flyweight: Malik Basahel v Vinicius Pereira

How Apple's credit card works

The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.

What does it cost?

Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.

What will the interest rate be?

The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts

What about security? 

The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.

Is it easy to use?

Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision. 

* Associated Press 

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Shaffra
Started: 2023
Based: DIFC Innovation Hub
Sector: metaverse-as-a-Service (MaaS)
Investment: currently closing $1.5 million seed round
Investment stage: pre-seed
Investors: Flat6Labs Abu Dhabi and different PCs and angel investors from Saudi Arabia
Number of staff: nine

COMPANY PROFILE

Company name: Revibe
Started: 2022
Founders: Hamza Iraqui and Abdessamad Ben Zakour
Based: UAE
Industry: Refurbished electronics
Funds raised so far: $10m
Investors: Flat6Labs, Resonance and various others

Dengue fever symptoms
  • High fever
  • Intense pain behind your eyes
  • Severe headache
  • Muscle and joint pains
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Swollen glands
  • Rash

If symptoms occur, they usually last for two-seven days

The Specs

Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 118hp
Torque: 149Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Price: From Dh61,500
On sale: Now

Napoleon

Director: Ridley Scott
Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim
Rating: 2/5

COMPANY PROFILE

Company name: Almouneer
Started: 2017
Founders: Dr Noha Khater and Rania Kadry
Based: Egypt
Number of staff: 120
Investment: Bootstrapped, with support from Insead and Egyptian government, seed round of
$3.6 million led by Global Ventures

Company profile

Name: Envi Lodges
Started: September 2021
Co-founders: Noelle Homsy and Chris Nader
Based: UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Number of employees: 12 to 15
Stage of investment: Series A

SOUTH KOREA SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Kim Seung-gyu, Jo Hyeon-woo, Song Bum-keun
Defenders: Kim Young-gwon, Kim Min-jae, Jung Seung-hyun, Kim Ju-sung, Kim Ji-soo, Seol Young-woo, Kim Tae-hwan, Lee Ki-je, Kim Jin-su
Midfielders: Park Yong-woo, Hwang In-beom, Hong Hyun-seok, Lee Soon-min, Lee Jae-sung, Lee Kang-in, Son Heung-min (captain), Jeong Woo-yeong, Moon Seon-min, Park Jin-seob, Yang Hyun-jun
Strikers: Hwang Hee-chan, Cho Gue-sung, Oh Hyeon-gyu

The specs

Powertrain: Single electric motor
Power: 201hp
Torque: 310Nm
Transmission: Single-speed auto
Battery: 53kWh lithium-ion battery pack (GS base model); 70kWh battery pack (GF)
Touring range: 350km (GS); 480km (GF)
Price: From Dh129,900 (GS); Dh149,000 (GF)
On sale: Now

In the Land of Saints and Sinners

Director: Robert Lorenz

Starring: Liam Neeson, Kerry Condon, Jack Gleeson, Ciaran Hinds

Rating: 2/5

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.5L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh129,999 (VX Luxury); from Dh149,999 (VX Black Gold)

COMPANY PROFILE

Founders: Sebastian Stefan, Sebastian Morar and Claudia Pacurar

Based: Dubai, UAE

Founded: 2014

Number of employees: 36

Sector: Logistics

Raised: $2.5 million

Investors: DP World, Prime Venture Partners and family offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE

Tips to keep your car cool
  • Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
  • Park in shaded or covered areas
  • Add tint to windows
  • Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
  • Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
  • Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Updated: February 08, 2023, 5:02 AM

Middle East Today

The must read newsletter for the region

      By signing up, I agree to The National's privacy policy
      Middle East Today