'Weather, scale of disaster making it hard to reach quake-affected regions,' says Turkish health minister
By Team Newsable | First Published Feb 7, 2023, 9:23 AM ISTSo far, at least 2,256 emergency health personnel workers have reached earthquake-affected provinces, the health minister said. As many as 602 ambulances and two ambulance planes have been dispatched from neighboring cities.
Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca has said that the weather and the scale of the disaster are creating challenges for aid teams. "The weather conditions and the scale of the disaster make it hard for our teams to reach the region," Koca said, adding "our helicopters could not take off today due to weather conditions."
Meanwhile, in a statement, UNICEF said, "Heavy snowstorms have also recently hit parts of Syria and Türkiye, with further sub-zero temperatures forecasted." All state institutions have been mobilised in the recovery effort, including the national police, municipal workers, the Disaster and Emergency Management Agency and the Gendarmerie.
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So far, at least 2,256 emergency health personnel workers have reached earthquake-affected provinces, the health minister said. As many as 602 ambulances and two ambulance planes have been dispatched from neighboring cities.
Also, 187 teams part of Turkey's National Medical Rescue Team (UMKE) have also been dispatched. "We have moved teams from surrounding provinces to the region," the minister said. Iskenderun State Hospital, a hospital in the city of Iskenderun, collapsed due to the earthquake.
Meanwhile, India has dispatched the first batch of relief material to Turkey aboard an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft even as rescuers searched through the frigid night into Tuesday, hoping to pull more survivors from the rubble.
Hours after the Prime Minister's Office made the announcement, a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel with a specially trained dog squad along with necessary equipment, including an array of medical supplies and advanced drilling machines departed for Turkey for search and rescue operations.
Turkish Ambassador to India Firat Sunel expressed his gratitude towards the Indian government's offer of assistance and said that "a friend in need is indeed a friend".
He also mentioned a Turkish proverb, "Dost kara gunde belli olur", which means "a friend in need is a friend indeed".
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