A member of a South Korean rescue team searches for survivors, with the help of a bandaged rescue dog, at the site of a collapsed building in Antakya, southeastern Turkey, on Feb. 10, 2023. At least 21,000 people have died and thousands more have been injured after two major earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea plans to provide emergency humanitarian aid of US$1 million to Syria for victims and others suffering from last week’s catastrophic earthquake that also affected Turkey, Seoul’s foreign ministry said Thursday.
The aid will be delivered through the United Nations due to the lack of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Syria, according to the ministry.
Lim Soo-suk, the ministry’s spokesperson, said the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has requested humanitarian assistance for Syria from the international community in connection with the massive earthquake.
“We hope that the support from our government will help victims, suffering from hardships, recover from the damage,” Lim said during a regular press briefing.
South Korea has offered $5 million in emergency humanitarian assistance to Turkey and sent a 118-member team to the country to assist local search and rescue operations.
(Yonhap)
