Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON: Thirty-five US Congress members have sent a letter to USAID (US Agency for International Development), urging continued assistance to Syria and Türkiye in the aftermath of devastating earthquakes hitting the two nations.
Led by a senior member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and Democratic Representative Gerry Connolly from Virginia, the bipartisan letter urged USAID Administrator Samantha Power for continued assistance to the earthquake-struck countries.
Officials commend USAID and US government’s swift response
They said, “We commend the USAID and US government’s swift response to the humanitarian crisis.” The letter said, “By deploying a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) and courageous Urban Search and Rescue Teams from Los Angeles County, Fairfax County, California, and Virginia, within hours of the earthquake, rapid action of your agency will undoubtedly save lives.”
It listed urgent requirements in both countries, such as additional tents, heavy machinery for removing debris, sleeping bags, isolation sheets, non-food items, and other things.
It further added, “We appreciate the expeditious response by USAID and for your attention to meet these requests and support ongoing efforts by partners in the region that include: rescue and search efforts, the provision of water and sanitation services, the funding of humanitarian response plans, an increase in nutrition programs and food security, the establishment of safe temporary housing for displaced families and field hospitals to assist those injured in the earthquake, and continued support for needs existing before the disaster.”
The 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes on the 6th of February in Türkiye affected more than 13 million people in 11 provinces. More than 38,000 people lost their lives in Türkiye, with tens of thousands injured and more than 13 million affected. Over 14,749 wounded, and 3,688 people were killed in Syria.
