The huge earthquake that hit the southeastern provinces of Turkey on Monday, February 6, claimed the lives of more than 20 thousand people so far. That's a scary number and it keeps growing. About 80 thousand people have been reported injured.
To show solidarity during these difficult times and help victims of the earthquake, Uzbekistan has sent several humanitarian cargos along with over one hundred rescuers and doctors. Medical professionals are pitching tents on the fields to treat injured people.
The search and rescue team of Uzbekistan has saved the lives of thirteen people to date; four of them are Uzbek nationals. They have also taken out the bodies of around sixty people from under the rubble.
Currently, Uzbekistan is collecting donations to send to Turkey through a regular humanitarian air corridor. The initiative is put forward by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Also, many volunteers both in Uzbekistan and Turkey are directly or indirectly helping the earthquake victims by organizing different campaigns and charity events.
We have had even reports that citizens of Uzbekistan living in Istanbul traveled over one thousand kilometers to reach the Hatay province, where they cooked 1 ton of pilaf, an Uzbek national dish, and distributed it among those working in the area and those affected by the natural disaster.
It is also reported that on February 9, the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the Turkish Embassy in Tashkent to personally express his condolences.
The president left a message of sympathy in the condolence book opened at the embassy and noted that Uzbekistan is always ready to provide all the necessary assistance to the Turkish nation.
