Pakistan dispatches winterized tents to Türkiye

KARACHI, Pakistan

Pakistan on Wednesday dispatched 6.7 tons of relief goods, primarily winterized tents, for Türkiye's earthquake victims, the country's disaster management authority said.

The fresh consignment, part of Islamabad's ongoing support to the quake-hit citizens of Türkiye and Syria, was dispatched through a Pakistan International Airlines flight, said a statement from the National Disaster Management Authority.

Islamabad has already dispatched over 150 tons of relief goods, including tents, clothes, and food items, aside from army and civilian-trained volunteers and rescue teams to Türkiye's quake-stricken regions.

Several Pakistani charities, including Al-Khidmat Foundation, Baitussalam Welfare Trust, and Edhi Foundation, have also been engaged in the relief and rescue operations in different earthquake-hit areas.

Meanwhile, Jamat-e-Islami, Pakistan's mainstream religious party, on Tuesday handed over the first installment of funds, a cheque for Rs 20 million ($75,000), to the Turkish Consul General in Karachi Cemal Sangu, for the earthquake victims.

The Jamat's Karachi chief, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, visited the consulate and handed over the cheque.

Fundraising at schools

Schools across Pakistan are busy collecting funds for the earthquake victims of Türkiye and Syria.

These funds will be deposited into the Prime Minister's Special Fund for Türkiye and Syria.

Footage aired on local broadcaster Geo News on Wednesday showed scores of students queuing up to deposit their shares at a school in the capital Islamabad.

Attired in blue pants, white shirts, and green sweaters, dozens of minor students also put their pocket money into a glass box placed in the middle of the school lawn for collection of funds.

Other funds collection ceremonies were held in the northeastern city of Gujranwala, where students and teachers deposited money into the fund for the earthquake victims.

At least 35,418 people were killed by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, according to the latest official figure issued on Tuesday.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 tremors last week were centered in Kahramanmaras and struck nine other provinces – Hatay, Gaziantep, Adiyaman, Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakir, Kilis, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa. More than 13 million people have been affected by the devastating quakes.

In neighboring Syria, at least 3,688 people were killed and over 14,749 injured.