US continues to support search, rescue, recovery and relief efforts and to mobilize additional equipment, says State Department spokesman
The US on Monday called on all countries around the world to “do everything they can” to support the people of Türkiye and Syria in the aftermath of the earthquakes.
“We're doing that in this country. This is an effort that transcends the federal government,” US State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.
“This is an effort where, once again, we've seen the generosity of spirit of the American people rise to the occasion,” he said, adding that the National Football League (NFL) encouraged American football fans on Sunday to contribute to ongoing earthquake relief efforts in Türkiye and Syria.
“The US continues to support search, rescue, recovery and relief efforts and to mobilize additional equipment and resources to assist in the recovery and humanitarian response efforts in both Türkiye and Syria,” he said.
On humanitarian aid to Syria, Price stressed that the international community has a “moral obligation” to do everything in its power to deliver aid to earthquake-hit areas.
“That includes urgently coming together in the United States Security Council to authorize additional crossing points from Türkiye,” he said.
“As we saw this past week, having only one crossing means there's a single point of failure,” he added.
"To our friend and ally Türkiye: We will be with you every step of the way. To the people of Syria: We are sending you precisely the same message," he said.
For years, the UN has sent humanitarian aid to Syria through just one border crossing, Cilvegozu, in the southern Turkish province of Hatay, but it was damaged in the massive earthquakes last Monday.
At least 31,643 people were killed and over 80,000 others injured after the magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes struck southern Türkiye within the space of less than 10 hours on Feb. 6, affecting around 13 million people, according to the latest official figures.
The earthquakes, centered in Kahramanmaras, also hit nine other provinces – Hatay, Gaziantep, Adiyaman, Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakir, Kilis, Osmaniye and Sanliurfa.
Several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon, also felt the strong tremors.
In neighboring Syria, the death toll has climbed above 3,500, with more than 5,200 people injured.
