• The 12th Saudi aircraft recently landed at Gaziantep Airport, carrying 75 tons of food parcels, medical supplies and other relief items

Arab News

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center recently sent 10 trucks carrying aid to earthquake-hit areas in Syria.

The trucks, which crossed through the Bab Al-Salameh border, carried tons of food, shelter and other life-saving items to be distributed among victims of the disaster, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Meanwhile, the Kingdom has sent 12 relief planes to affected areas in Turkiye, carrying food, tents, blankets, rugs, shelter bags and medical supplies.

The 12th Saudi aircraft recently landed at Gaziantep Airport, carrying 75 tons of food parcels, medical supplies and other relief items.

The shipments were part of the Saudi relief mission on the directives of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to help quake victims.

A Saudi search-and-rescue team is also carrying out operations in 46 locations in three Turkish cities, helping to recover bodies from the rubble.

The team, which received high-level training on dealing with disasters and accidents, includes rescuers, medics, engineers and doctors, as well as telecommunications, safety and security specialists.

The team is equipped with specialized vehicles, technical tools, and medical and communication devices.

The Saudi team of the General Directorate of Saudi Civil Defense has been classified high on the INSARAG Search-and-Rescue Directory. It has represented the Kingdom in joint drills in several countries, and also joined relief efforts in areas hit by floods and other natural disasters around the world.

Saudi Arabia is also offering virtual health assistance to quake survivors in Syria and Turkiye.

The Seha Virtual Hospital, which was launched by the Kingdom’s Ministry of Health last year, is supporting the medical efforts of the Saudi Red Crescent Authority to help alleviate the suffering of the earthquake survivors in the two countries.

Health Ministry spokesperson Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly said he was honored to see Saudi male and female specialists in various fields working in the virtual hospital and providing care to survivors.

He added: “This is an extension of the humanitarian relief work in which Saudi Arabia’s efforts are combined through the relief air bridge that the KSrelief operates and supports.”

Specialists are supporting the efforts of Saudi Red Crescent Authority colleagues on the ground in Turkiye and Syria, he said.

Specialist teams included cardiologists, internists, pediatricians, dermatologists, infectious disease specialists, obstetricians, gynecologists and ophthalmologists.

He said that they provided the necessary medical support and advice to their colleagues in the region through video communication.