Islamabad, 14 March 2023 (TDI): Turkiye and Syria were badly jolted by the earthquake that happened on February 6th, 2023.
Six weeks after the situation in the disaster-hit areas, the two received massive support from Europe, the US, and other South Asia, Gulf, and Middle Eastern countries.
Among all others, Europe is on the front in rescuing and rehabilitating the affected people at all levels.
To better address the situation, European Commission along with Swedish Council is organizing the first donor conference on March 20th in Brussels.
Through this conference, the EU and its Member States intend to make a significant pledge for further relief, recovery, and reconstruction in Türkiye and further relief, recovery, and rehabilitation in Syria.
This is going to be another significant step by Europe to gather all the international partners and global donors to show solidarity with the people in Türkiye & Syria in such testing times by mobilizing pledges in line with the scale and magnitude of the damage
The conference will be co-hosted by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and by Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, for the Swedish Presidency of the Council.
Both the leaders and their teams are continuously in touch with Turkish authorities. They are also reaching out to EU Member States and candidate countries as well as potential candidates.
Likewise, they approached neighboring and partner countries, G20 members – except for Russia – the Member States of the Gulf Cooperation, as well as the UN, international organizations, humanitarian actors, and international & European financial institutions.
On the occasion, the Prime Minister of Sweden said, “The earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria are a disaster of historic proportions. I’m saddened by the loss of lives and homes and human suffering. The consequences are truly horrendous.
As President of the Council of the European Union, Sweden will do everything in our power, together with the EU and international partners, to help those affected in the next phases of the rehabilitation and early recovery.”
While sharing her views, President Ursula von der Leyen mentioned, “Six weeks after the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, we come together to support the survivors of this tragedy.
Our solidarity will continue to be as strong as it was in the first hours after the earthquake. The people in Türkiye and Syria should know that we are with them for the long run.
I invite all nations and all donors, public and private, to contribute and honor the memory of the lives lost, the heroism of the first responders, and most importantly to build together a better future for the survivors.”
