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Bashar al-Assad
Photo: - / AFP
After the earthquake disaster, the Syrian government called on the international community for help.
The Foreign Ministry in Damascus addressed its appeal to the UN member states and international aid organizations to support efforts "to deal with this human catastrophe", as the state agency SANA reported on Monday.
In the earthquakes in the Syrian-Turkish border area, rescuers still fear numerous people under the rubble.
Temperatures in the disaster area are around freezing.
According to aid organizations, thousands have become homeless in both countries - and that in icy weather.
One of the most severe areas affected by the earthquake on Monday night was the Idlib region, which is held by rebels.
According to observers, this should make emergency aid more difficult there.
More than 2,500 people have died in the disaster in Syria and Turkey so far, and around 13,500 have been injured.
According to the Turkish disaster service Afad, the main earthquake in the morning with the epicenter in Kahramanmaras in southern Turkey had a magnitude of 7.7.
At noon, a 7.5-magnitude tremor shook the same region, according to the Kandilli earthquake station in Istanbul.
"Are ready to provide any assistance needed"
Even before the request from Syria, a neighboring country came forward to offer help: Israel.
"Following the request of the Turkish government, I have ordered the deployment of search and rescue teams and medical teams," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday, adding: "Since we were asked to do the same for the many people injured in the earthquake in I have ordered Syria to do the same.” Officially, Israel and Syria are at war.
It was initially unclear what the help for Syria should look like in concrete terms.
A Netanyahu spokesman said he had no further information.
Israeli Defense Minister Joav Galant had previously instructed the army to prepare to send a humanitarian aid delegation to Turkey.
"Our security forces are ready to provide any assistance needed," Galant said.
Israel has experience with emergencies and saving lives.
In addition, the Israeli rescue service Zaka announced that it would help search collapsed houses in Turkey.
Israeli President Itzhak Herzog offered his condolences to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and to the Turkish people.
"I am deeply saddened by the tremendous disaster that has befallen Turkey following last night's earthquake," he said on Twitter.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen also expressed his condolences and announced that his ministry would help.
The earthquake was also felt in Israel.
However, according to the Israeli police, there were no injuries.
Property damage was also not recorded.
dop/dpa
