US Private Sector Aid to Turkey for Earthquake Exceeded $50 Million

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Olson provided information on the assistance provided by the US after the earthquakes, which were epicentered in the Pazarcık and Elbistan districts of Kahramanmaraş and which affected 10 provinces.

Noting that the earthquakes centered on Kahramanmaraş are among the most severe earthquakes the world has seen in the last century, Olson said: “The views I have seen from the places I have been before are really painful. I loved Gaziantep, Antakya, Şanlıurfa, Adıyaman, Kahramanmaraş.” he said.

Stating that the US government, as well as corporate America, non-governmental organizations and individuals continue to help in earthquake zones, Olson said: “Ordinary Americans rushed to help as much as they could. In short, our support demonstrates the greatness of our friendship and partnership, and this (support) will continue to grow in terms of framework and scope.” he used the phrases.

Olson said that the two US rescue teams continue to work in Turkey, and the US government has provided $85 million in aid to the earthquake zone through international organizations, especially the Organization of the United Nations (UN).

“BOEING DONATES 500K DOLLARS”

Noting that the US private sector also provided assistance, Olson said that under the coordination of the US Chamber of Commerce, the private sector provided more than $50 million in aid for many items, from transportation to earthquake zones to hot meals.

olson said:

“For example, Boeing immediately donated $500,000 through the Red Cross Red Crescent networks, and each donor was accompanied by the same number of employees. FedEx launched cargo flights with its airline partners on February 8 to transport critical needs to affected areas. Uber has provided free services to transport relief supplies to central distribution areas, and these are just a few examples.”

Noting that the Pepsi company is looking for ways to help its employees affected by the earthquake by providing shelter and access to basic materials, Olson said that non-governmental organizations in the US have also taken action with groups such as World Central Kitchen (WCK) , which provides food to earthquake areas, and Samaritan’s Purse, which set up field hospitals to provide basic medical assistance.

Olson said that in addition to high-level meetings with Turkey, they also held talks with American experts in the field about future assistance.

Explaining that they expect aid from the private sector in the US to be several times the current figure, Olson noted that aid tracked by the US Chamber of Commerce has gone from $30 million to $51 million since the weekend, noting that this figure could go up much more.

Responding to the question that the aid provided by the US was low compared to the earthquake on August 17, Olson said that the aid will continue to increase.

The US Chamber of Commerce website showed that as of February 13, private sector aid amounted to $51.1 million. (AA)