PH to send more relief aid to quake-hit Syria
The Philippine government is set to send $200,000 in financial donations to the Syrian Arab Republic following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Türkiye and Syria and killed over 55,000 people last month.
In a Facebook post, the Presidential Communications Office said the donation would be made through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The amount is in addition to the in-kind relief assistance the government will send to Syria.
The Philippine government had previously sent an 82-man Philippine Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contingent (PIAHC) to Türkiye to assist in the response operations in the quake-hit country.
According to the PCO, the PIAHC's medical team had served 1,022 patients.
The Philippine search and rescue team assisted in the search and rescue operations in the collapsed buildings, assessing a total of 36 buildings from Feb. 10 to 15, 2023.
The government donated 11,205 blankets, 5,000 bonnets, and 420 pairs of globes to the tremor victims.
Last month, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said the Philippine government was looking for ways to send help to Syria.
"I am trying to find a way kasi hindi lang Turkey ang tinamaan. Syria pati (because it was not only Türkiye that was hit-- Syria as well)," he said.
"Alam naman natin ang kalagayan sa Syria, hindi rin maganda (We know that the situation in Syria is not good). That is why I am hoping to do somehting to help them," he added.