Awad Rajoub
14 February 2023•Update: 14 February 2023
RAMALLAH, Palestine
Palestine has donated 20,000 sleeping bags worth $500,000 for earthquake victims in Türkiye.
“The donation is part of a Palestinian relief drive announced by the Ministry of Religious Endowments,” Minister Hatem al-Bakri told a news conference in the West Bank city of Hebron.
He said around 4,800,000 shekels ($1.37 million) have been collected so far for the quake victims.
“Around $500,000 of these donations were allocated for the purchase of 20,000 sleeping bags, and we may increase the number of bags based on the Turkish view,” the minister added.
According to al-Bakri, the Palestinian donation campaign is scheduled to last until Friday.
The Palestinian minister will visit Türkiye on Sunday to meet officials of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and Turkish officials to follow up on the aid delivery to Türkiye and Syria.
Palestine has already dispatched a 73-member team to provide help for quake victims in the two countries.
At least 31,974 people were killed and more than 81,000 others injured in two powerful earthquake that jolted southern Türkiye on Feb. 6, according to the country's disaster agency AFAD.
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.
In Syria, at least 3,688 people were killed and over 14,749 injured in the earthquake disaster.
*Ikram Imane Kouachi contributed to this report.
