UPDATE - EU lawmakers start plenary session with silence grieving quake victims

ADDS REMARKS FROM DURING PLENARY SESSION, OTHER DETAILS

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) - The plenary session of the European Parliament started on Monday with a minute of silence to honor the earthquake victims in Türkiye and Syria.

"Europe stands with the people of Turkey and Syria," European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said, opening the four-day plenary session in Strasbourg, France.

She called on EU lawmakers to honor the victims of the earthquakes' "unimaginable destruction" with a minute of silence before they start the work.

"Our thoughts are with the families of those killed, those trapped, those injured, and with all the rescuers fighting the clock night and day to save lives," she said.

The plenary session's first debate was on the EU's humanitarian response to the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria.

Under the EU's Civil Protection Mechanism, 32 search and rescue teams and six medical teams from 21 EU member states and three other European participating countries have contributed to relief work in Türkiye, EU Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic summarized.

The EU has also allocated €3 billion ($3.22 billion) to support humanitarian organizations' work in the country.

"I have decided to mobilize rescEU, the EU's own emergency stockpile," Lenarcic further said.

He said that the bloc had sent 500 temporary accommodation units, 2,000 tents, and 8,000 beds to Türkiye from its strategic reserves, while 16 EU countries already offered various shelter items.

"The European Union is determined to further scale up support in view of this unprecedented catastrophe," he stressed.

In March, the European Commission and the Swedish government, assuming the turning presidency of the Council of the European Union, will host an international conference to raise funds.

At least 31,643 people were killed by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, according to the latest official death toll.

Several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon, also felt the strong tremors that struck Türkiye in the space of less than 10 hours.

In neighboring Syria, the death toll has climbed above 3,500, with more than 5,200 people wounded.