Deadly earthquake: Guyana donates US$100,000 in aid to Türkiye, Syria

The Government of Guyana has donated US$100,000 to the countries of Türkiye and Syria as the two nations reel from a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake earlier this month.
The February 6, 2023 disaster has resulted in thousands of fatalities, injuries to civilians, and destruction to infrastructure. According to international reports, the death toll in the neighbouring countries has surpassed 41,000 as at Wednesday.
Immediately following the massive earthquake and major aftershock, President Dr Irfaan Ali had written the leaders of both countries, conveying solidarity and support on behalf of the Government and people of Guyana.
On Wednesday, the Guyana Government announced that it “…has since taken a decision to contribute the sum of US$50,000 to Türkiye and US$50,000 to Syria to aid the relief efforts underway.”
This donation was in response to a call by the United Nations and as such, the contributions will be channelled through the UN.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday issued an appeal for humanitarian funding to bring urgent relief to approximately five million Syrians. The Secretary-General announced that $397 million is needed to address humanitarian concerns over the next three months, up to May 2023, in priority areas such as shelter, healthcare, food and protection.
The Secretary-General is expected to shortly make a similar appeal for Türkiye.
“In the immediate aftermath of the earthquakes, the
United Nations rapidly provided $50 million through the Central Emergency Response Fund. But the needs are immense…the most effective way to stand with the people is by providing this emergency funding. We all know that lifesaving aid has not been getting in at the speed and scale needed. The scale of this disaster is one of the worst in recent memory.
“One week after the devastating earthquakes, millions of people across the region are struggling for survival, homeless and in freezing temperatures. We are doing all we can to change this. But much more is needed…. I urge Member States and others to fully fund this effort without delay and help the millions of children, women and men whose lives have been upended by this generational disaster. This is a moment for unity, for common humanity, and concerted action,” SG Guterres implored during a press conference.
On Tuesday, the UN also reported that more than seven million children are affected by the earthquake.
“In Turkiye, the total number of children living in the 10 provinces hit by the two earthquakes was 4.6 million children. In Syria, 2.5 million children are affected,” James Elder, spokesman for the UN children’s agency UNICEF, told reporters in Geneva, according to international news agency Aljazeera.
“UNICEF fears many thousands of children have been killed,” Elder was quoted in the article as saying, and warned that “Even without verified numbers, it is tragically clear that numbers will continue to grow.”
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has described the earthquake as the “worst natural disaster in the WHO European Region for a century”. It has also expressed great concerns over the northwestern area in Syria, which is a rebel-held region with little access to aid.