Int'l Red Cross head visits Türkiye's quake zone to monitor humanitarian aid

By Faruk Zorlu

ANKARA (AA) - Türkiye on Sunday hosted the head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), who was visiting earthquake-hit areas in the country to examine the humanitarian assistance activities carried out by the Turkish Red Crescent.

Visiting the southern provinces of Gaziantep and Kahramanmaras, Secretary-General Jagan Chapagain voiced his support and solidarity with Türkiye in a meeting with Kerem Kinik, the head of the Turkish Red Crescent, or Kizilay, in Kahramanmaras province, the IFRC said in a statement.

"The scale of the damage and destruction is absolutely unimaginable," Chapagain said, calling the level of destruction, and the damage "heartbreaking."

On Kizilay's efforts on the ground, he said the organization "swung into action immediately in the middle of this destruction."

"Thousands of volunteers and staff were mobilized on day 1 all over the earthquake-affected areas to bring food. Because that was a really immediate need. And now they are expending their services of shelter, health, water, sanitation and protection."

Thanking the volunteers and staff of Kizilay for their dedication and commitment, he said: "I also know that many of them have lost some of their family members. But their commitment is not shaking. They are still here."

Chapagain also said that the IFRC was extending its support to Kizilay, which, he underlined was a "very strong National Society with a huge capacity."

For his part, Kinik said three daily meals were being served to 2.5 million people impacted by the earthquakes, adding that the urgent need for blood donations had been resolved in the first days of the disaster thanks to "the intense support of our citizens."

Kizilay provided blood and blood products needed by hospitals in the quake-hit region and called on people to donate blood, with voluntary donations to the Red Crescent on the first day surpassing 40,000 units, it said in a separate statement the day after the earthquakes struck

With its professional team and volunteers, Kizilay did "a great job in terms of nutrition services, shelter and psychosocial support, humanitarian aid logistics, storage and transfer," Kinik added.

During his visit to provinces affected by the earthquakes, Chapagain visited Kizilay's disaster kitchen and a tent complex. He was also informed about the work in the mobile coordination vehicle.

At least 40,642 people have been killed and over 108,000 injured in two powerful earthquakes that rocked southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, according to the latest official figures.

The 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 million people across 11 provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Elazig and Sanliurfa.

In Syria, at least 5,840 people have been killed.