NOS News•
At a donor conference in Brussels, the international community pledged EUR 7 billion in aid to Turkey and Syria for aid to the victims of the earthquake. This was announced by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen after the conference.
More than 6 billion euros will go to Turkey for the recovery and reconstruction of that country, 950 million will be earmarked for humanitarian aid to Syria. According to the European Commission, the money for Turkey partly consists of donations and loans. It is not clear how large the part of the loan is.
Almost half of the amount has been pledged by countries from the European Union. Earlier today, the European Commission pledged a billion euros in aid for the two countries. Von der Leyen called the support afterwards “beyond expectations”.
50,000 dead
More than six weeks ago Turkey and Syria were startled by a devastating earthquake, the death toll has now risen to 50,000. Aid organizations came to the rescue after the quake, although aid in Syria barely started.
“The people of Turkey and Syria need to know that we will not abandon them, even if the whole process takes a long time,” said von der Leyen. Turkish President Erdogan estimates the damage in his country at 104 billion euros, he said at the conference in Brussels.
The Turkish Arslan family was trapped under the rubble of their apartment building for six days. One by one they were pulled out alive from under the rubble. After a week in the hospital, the family tries to pick up the thread again.
Month after earthquake, the Arslan family picks up again: ‘Our body bags were already ready’
Tens of thousands of buildings have collapsed in the disaster area, millions of people are homeless and live in tents. “Houses, schools and hospitals must be rebuilt, with the highest standards of seismic safety,” said von der Leyen. “Water, sanitation and other essential infrastructure must be repaired.”
The money for Syria is intended for humanitarian aid and not for reconstruction. The country is still subject to international sanctions against the Assad regime.
