Faced with the scale of the humanitarian needs of the survivors of the 6 February earthquakes that killed more than 41,000 people in Turkey and Syria, the EU is stepping up its aid for the populations affected, who have been forced to face freezing temperatures in both countries. The European Commission confirmed this on Friday 17 February, when it took stock of the most recent in-kind assistance offered or already delivered through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism.
For example, 2,000 tents and 8,000 beds from the Romanian-hosted rescEU reserve have arrived in Turkey, while 500 emergency housing units with 2,500 beds are on their way from the Swedish-hosted reserve, the Commission said at midday.
Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and Albania have deployed medical teams, while the Netherlands has offered a medevac plane. An emergency field hospital has already been set up by the Spanish team (see EUROPE 13122/32).
Eighteen Member States (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Slovenia and Slovakia) have donated millions of essential items: shelters, heaters, generators, furniture, medical equipment, hygiene kits, food and warm clothing.
In Syria, aid is increasing. Twelve European countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Romania, Slovenia and Norway) have now responded to the request for assistance, made by Syrian authorities on 8 February (see EUROPE 13117/4).
Several planes from Romania have already arrived in Beirut and Gaziantep, and the first deliveries to north-west Syria have already been made. Shelters from Bulgaria and medicines from Cyprus have also arrived in Beirut. On Friday, a ship from Italy was also due to dock in Beirut to deliver large family tents.
The first flight from the EU’s humanitarian stockpile in Dubai was due to land on Friday in Adana, Turkey, from where the aid would be delivered by the Commission’s humanitarian partner IOM (see EUROPE 13121/21).
In addition to the urgent in-kind assistance to the two countries, EU humanitarian aid, i.e. funding from the EU budget for the operations of partner humanitarian organisations and agencies to meet immediate needs, has been provided. The sum of €5.5 million has been given to Turkey (€3.2 million in new money and the rest by reallocation of funds), and €3.5 million in new money has been sent to Syria. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)