Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government sends humanitarian aid to quake victims in Syria's Afrin

AFRIN, Syria

Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) sent 13 humanitarian aid trucks to northwestern Syria on Monday, a week after twin earthquakes left the region devastated.

The trucks, carrying first aid materials, food, and tents, entered the Babusselam Border Gate in Azaz through the Oncupinar Border Gate in Türkiye's southern Kilis province.

The trucks reached the town of Jinderes in the Afrin district, which was affected by the earthquakes.

The KRG had sent humanitarian aid to earthquake victims in Jinderes once before on Feb. 10.

At least 31,643 people were killed by the back-to-back earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, according to the latest official figures.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, affected more than 13 million people across 10 provinces, including Hatay, Gaziantep, Adiyaman, Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakir, Kilis, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.

In neighboring Syria, the death toll has climbed above 3,500, with more than 5,200 people wounded.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar