- The convoy was received by Deputy Mayor Malatya
- Air bridge was established between Islamabad and Ankara
- Ship carrying earthquake relief goods is also scheduled to leave
ISLAMABAD: A 21-truck convoy carrying 275-ton relief assistance goods from Pakistan arrived at Malatya, one of the worst hit cities by the earthquake Saturday afternoon. The truck convoy carrying mainly winterized tents, blankets and other essential relief goods departed from Pakistan on February 11 and reached Turkiye via Iran.
The convoy was received by Deputy Mayor Malatya Hakan Ezgi, Ambassador Fazli Corman of Turkish MOFA, Pakistan Embassy Deputy Ambassador Abbas Sarwar Qureshi, Commander Mehmet Bhaktiyar, and officials from AFAD and local administration.
Under the directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, an air bridge was established immediately between Islamabad and Ankara on February 6 to transport rescue teams and deliver essential relief goods. As of now, 20 flights have brought relief assistance goods to Turkiye. A ship carrying earthquake relief goods is also scheduled to leave Pakistan for Turkiye soon.
Speaking on the occasion, Abbas Sarwar Qureshi stated that Pakistan and Turkiye have a glorious history of supporting each other under all circumstances. As per the wishes of the prime minister and the people of Pakistan, relief assistance shall keep coming from Pakistan to brotherly Turkiye till complete recovery and rehabilitation, he added.
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Deputy Mayor Hakan Ezgi said that the trucks had not only brought relief goods but tons of prayers and best wishes from Pakistanis whose hearts beat with the hearts of Turkish brothers.
He thanked the people and government of Pakistan for their quick response and solidarity with Turkiye in this difficult time.
As a part of Government of Pakistan’s earthquake relief efforts, National Logistics Cell (NLC), which is Pakistan’s leading multimodal logistics organization has transported the earthquake relief supplies from Pakistan to Turkiye.
A senior UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) official has called for stepped-up support for boys and girls affected by the devastating earthquakes in Turkiye, which have left more than one million people homeless.
Afshan Khan, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, briefed journalists in Geneva on her recent visit to the region, where she saw first-hand some of the destruction, according to a press release issued at UN Headquarters in New York on Saturday.
“Children in Turkiye are at risk of developing anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder; they need to be able to resume their education, and they urgently need psychosocial support to help deal with the trauma they have experienced,” she said.
Both Turkiye and Syria were rocked by earthquakes on 6 February, and another struck Turkiye earlier this week.
