Ibrahim al-Khazen
10 February 2023•Update: 10 February 2023
RIYADH
More than 500,000 people have participated in a popular donation campaign in Saudi Arabia for the relief of Türkiye and Syria, with a total of more than 192 million riyals ($51.2 million).
More than 569,000 people have donated so far, according to data released by the Saudi government’s Sahem Platform, which is responsible for the popular campaign for relief of earthquake victims in Syria and Türkiye.
The campaign was launched on Wednesday by the King Salman Relief Center and donations so far exceeded 192 million Saudi riyals (some $51.2 million).
On Tuesday, King Salman bin Abdulaziz and his crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, directed the center to operate an air bridge and organize a popular campaign through the Sahem Platform, to support Türkiye and Syria in the earthquakes crisis.
The frequent update of the campaign platform shows a remarkable increase in the number of participants and the value of donations, since its launch, according to Anadolu.
Sixteen Arab countries officially announced the establishment of air bridges and the provision of urgent relief and medical aid to support Türkiye, according to official statements.
The countries are Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Egypt, Lebanon, Algeria, Jordan, Bahrain, Libya, Tunisia, Palestine, Iraq, Mauritania, Sudan, and Oman.
Over 18,300 people were killed and more than 74,200 injured by two strong earthquakes that jolted southern Türkiye on Monday, according to the latest official figures.
The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in the Kahramanmaras province, were felt by 13 million people across 10 provinces in Türkiye, and also affected several countries in the region, including Syria.
More than 3,300 people in Syria have died from the earthquakes, according to figures compiled by the Health Ministry and the Syrian White Helmets civil defense group.
* Writing by Mahmoud Barakat in Ankara.
