Earthquake: Turkey needs love - Chief Imam

The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Dr. Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, has called on the global community to show love and care to the victims of Turkiye's earthquake.

He said, “it is a tragedy that calls for global solidarity with both countries (Turkey and Syria). World leaders and international organisations must show the affected nations love and care as they struggle to bear the trying moments and restore normalcy.”

On Monday, February 6, 2023, an earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Ritcher scale hit Turkey. The incident occurred in Pazarcik, Kahramanmaras at 04.17 hours.

In a release issued to the Ghana News Agency on Thursday, in Accra, the Chief Imam was worried that some victims were still trapped in collapsed buildings and said areas of humanitarian assistance should be the sending of search experts, rescue specialists, and donation of food items to the two countries.

Shiekh Sharubutu prayed for the dead and speedy healing of the injured.

He directed all Imams in Ghana to dedicate portions of their sermons on Friday to prayers for Turkey. and Syria.

A total of 12,391 people have died as of Thursday February 9, from the earthquake, according to an information update from Turkey's Ministry of Interior on Thursday.

The Ministry also said a total of 62,914 individuals had been injured after the earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale hit Turkey on Monday, February 6, 2023.

The areas that recorded the casualties are Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Diyarbakır, Adana, Adıyaman, Osmaniye, Hatay, Kilis and Malatya and Elazığ.

The incident which occurred in Pazarcık, Kahramanmaraş at 04.17 hours had a total of 1,052 earthquakes including a 7.6-magnitude earthquake that hit Elbistan.

The Ministry said a total of 5,709 teams from countries had contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to offer assistance and had been deployed to earthquake areas.

It said 110,571 search and rescue workers from AFAD, PAK, Gendarmerie, DAK, Ministry of National Defense, UMKE, Fire Department, Ministry of National Education, Güven, NGOs, Volunteers, Security Units and Local Support Teams had also been deployed.

The Ministry said a total of 5,557 vehicles, including construction equipment such as excavators, tractors, cranes, dozers, trucks, water tenders, trailers, graders and vacuum trucks had been deployed to the affected areas.

It said 31 governors and more than 70 district governors and 68 provincial directors and 17 AFAD top directors had been assigned to disaster areas.

The Ministry said Air and Land Forces, the Gendarmerie and the Coast Guard had built an air bridge from Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir with 122 aircrafts.

It said a total of 21 ships, (20 by the Naval Forces, and one by the Coast Guard Command), were employed to deliver personnel and materials to the affected area.

The Ministry said total of 1,208,305 blankets and 94.774 medical tents were sent to the 10 quake-hit provinces from AFAD, The Turkish Red Crescent and the Ministry of Family and Social Services.

73,911 AFAD Family Tent was installed in the region for the earthquake victims, it said.

The Ministry said the Turkish Red Crescent, AFAD, the Ministry of National Defense, the Gendarmerie, Humanitarian Relief Foundation and foundations of Hayrat, Beşir and İnsiyatif sent 79 catering vehicles, 95 mobile kitchens, one mobile food bank, four mobile ovens, 39 field kitchens, one container kitchen and 86 service vehicles to the quake-hit areas.

It said 2,999,354 units of hot meal, 685,207 units of soup, 4,560,117 liters of water, 2,790,139 pieces of bread, 2,694,543 treats and 378,652 units of beverage were distributed to the quake-hit areas.

The Ministry said four mobilised Social Service Centers were charged in Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Osmaniye, and Malatya provinces, adding that, a total of 1,502 officers and 145 vehicles were sent to the region.