Sudan sends humanitarian aid to quake victims in Türkiye

KHARTOUM, Sudan

Sudan on Sunday dispatched a plane loaded with humanitarian aid to the victims of twin earthquakes that killed thousands in Türkiye.

The plane is carrying 20,000 blankets and 2,000 tents for the victims of the Feb. 6 earthquake disaster.

“The aid plane was sent to Türkiye by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the name of the Sudanese people,” RSF commander and deputy leader of Sudan’s ruling Sovereign Council, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, told reporters.

He said the Sudanese assistance to Türkiye “will not stop as other forms of aid are being prepared.”

"We tried to send aid to Syria but we could not find the possible way to deliver the assistance,” Dagalo added.

The Sudanese aid plane is the second by Khartoum since the deadly earthquakes. Khartoum also dispatched a rescue team to the quake-hit areas to search for survivors.

Turkish Ambassador Ismail Kubanoglu thanked Sudan for providing support to the victims of the earthquake disaster.

"These 2,000 tents may address the needs of nearly 20,000 Turkish citizens whose homes were damaged by the earthquake," Kubanoglu said.

At least 40,689 people were killed and over 108,000 injured in two powerful earthquakes that rocked southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, according to the latest official figures.

The 7.7- and 7.6-magnitude earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 million people across 11 provinces, including Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, Elazig and Sanliurfa.

In Syria, at least 5,840 people have been killed in the deadly earthquakes.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar