TOKYO: Moves are growing in Japan to offer support for people affected by Monday’s massive earthquake in Turkiye.

On Tuesday, staff of the Association for Aid and Relief, Japan, a nongovernmental organization, started offering relief supplies, such as blankets and paper diapers, to affected people in Turkiye.

The NGO, based in Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward, which announced the launch of an emergency support program right after the quake struck, received over 20 million yen in donations by Thursday.

“Donations are coming in at a faster pace compared with past earthquakes,” an AAR Japan official said. This could be because Japanese people traditionally have a high interest in Turkiye and many people are paying close attention to world affairs following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the official noted.

Peace Winds Japan dispatched an emergency support team of doctors, nurses and rescue staff to Turkiye. Since arriving in Turkey on Tuesday, the team has been engaging in work such as distributing water, food and other goods, according to the NGO, based in the town of Jinsekikogen in the western Japan prefecture of Hiroshima.

In the town of Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, which has a long-standing friendship with Turkiye, donation boxes have been set up at four places, including the municipal government office.

The friendship started after Kushimoto residents worked to rescue crew members of the Ottoman Empire naval frigate Ertugrul, which was shipwrecked in waters off the town, in 1890.

“Many people are suffering from the earthquake, so we want to be of help,” a town official said. The town has been receiving a lot of inquiries about support for Turkiye from outside Wakayama as well, according to the official.

The Tokyo Camii and Diyanet Turkish Culture Center in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward on Tuesday started seeking donations through the internet. It is one of the largest mosques in Japan.

Muhammet Rifat Cinar, head of the center, expressed his gratitude for Japan’s quick response to the earthquake. He called on people to make donations, citing a shortage of necessary staff.

“The death toll continues rising, so it’s heart-wrenching,” said a 71-year-old man from neighboring Setagaya Ward who made donations at the center on Wednesday. “I hope to see afflicted areas recover as early as possible,” he added.

The quake also hit hard neighboring Syria, where a civil war continues between the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad and rebel forces. Following the temblor, the United Nations has been struggling to offer support for people in areas controlled by the rebels.

JIJI Press