By Janela Pauline Bañanola
In the wake of a catastrophic earthquake that occurred in Hatay, Turkey on February 9, 2023, a survivor is shown walking while holding items that were saved from his wrecked home. (Photo by Umit Bektas from Reuters)
In the early morning of February 6, 2023, a magnitude of 7.8 earthquake, followed by an aftershock of magnitude 7.5, devastated the southern regions of Turkey and the northern areas of Syria, claiming the lives of 34,000 civilians, two of which were Filipinos.
The Philippine Embassy in the capital city, Ankara, Turkey, released an official statement confirming the deaths of two Filipinos on February 11.
One missing Filipino was found in Antakya City alive; 10 million Filipino families are being relocated from Antakya to Turkey's capital.
Millions of civilians are homeless in freezing temperatures, and with the death toll rising, international governments and organizations have continued to bring aid to Turkey and Syria, including the Philippines.
The Philippine Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contingent, with a total of 82-workforce, contributed to the evacuation and relief efforts in the city of Adiyaman on February 10.
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) administered a donation of $200,000 to both countries respectively for rescue and relief efforts; the Philippines is steadfast in communicating with both affected nations in this time of crisis, particularly with the Turkish Red Cresent Society (TRCS).
Richard Gordon, the CEO of PRC, highlighted the Philippines' definite relations with the TRCS; the TRCS was one of the first international organizations to aid the Philippines during Yolanda in 2013.
The United Nations announced that 81,000 citizens had been evacuated safely, while a labor force of 30,000 people, along with 6,800 from international organizations, are conducting rescue and relief operations within the affected regions.
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