China Sends Aid to Türkiye, Syria Following Deadly Earthquakes

Following a series of earthquakes that ravaged Türkiye (formerly Turkey) and war-torn Syria on February 6, governments from different countries — including China — have been dispatching search and rescue teams to aid with disaster response and recovery.

Not only did an 82-person-strong Chinese team arrive in Türkiye on February 8, but the Chinese government has also offered 30 million RMB (about 4.4 million USD) to Syria and 40 million RMB (about 5.8 million USD) to Türkiye to help offset the cost of the natural disaster.

Time is of the essence in earthquake rescue efforts, hence the need for more hands on deck. China’s team has joined some 53,000 individuals from the two affected countries, not to mention disaster assistance teams from the European Union, the U.S., South Korea, India, and other countries and regions.

According to ABC News, victims trapped beneath rubble are unlikely to survive for more than a week, and the odds of them surviving drops with each passing day. The below-freezing temperatures in Türkiye and Syria at present lower their chances of survival.

On February 10, The Wall Street Journal reported that the death toll for the Türkiye-Syria earthquakes had reached 21,000. However, this number is sure to keep rising in the coming days.

Videos of China’s rescue team arriving in Türkiye have gone viral on the Chinese internet, and a related hashtag has received more than 60 million views at the time of writing. So far, the Chinese rescue team’s efforts include successfully helping to extricate a pregnant woman from beneath a pile of debris in the Turkish city of Hatay.

The Chinese government aside, individuals and organizations from the country, including The Expatriate Center (TEC) in Shanghai, have also been doing what they can to help. On February 8, the NGO released a notice calling for donation packages from folks in China and stating that Turkish Airlines would help with delivery to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) in Türkiye.

Despite criticisms from some Chinese netizens at a perceived lack of assistance from NATO, individual countries under the NATO umbrella have also sent aid to Türkiye and Syria. America’s Los Angeles County has sent 100 firefighters and engineers to the earthquake zone. In an announcement on February 6, President Joe Biden said, “U.S.-supported humanitarian partners are also responding to the destruction in Syria.”

Germany, Greece, the United Kingdom, Hungary, and Bulgaria — among others — have also sent rescue crews or are prepared to provide aid.

All images via Weibo, unless otherwise stated