ANKARA- Volunteers from the General Union of Palestinian Students (GUPS) in Turkey have joined the rescue teams to help the survivors of the devastating earthquake that struck southern Turkey and north Syria last Monday and left devastating results in life and property.
Anas al-Jazzar, a member of GUPS, explained that the Union plays a relief and voluntary role throughout Turkey after the earthquake and formed teams of volunteers to engage in the rescue operations, and collect and distribute aid.
He indicated that the Union was part of the operations room formed by the Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Turkey, Fayed Mustafa, noting that he formed a committee of volunteers from its affiliates in Gaziantep, Hatay, and the Kilis student units, who worked to list the names of the Palestinian students in these areas, gathering them in safe places, providing them with meals and what they needed, in addition to evacuating some students outside the affected cities, engaging with Turkish rescue teams, and helping to recover the injured and victims from under the rubble.
Jazzar pointed out that more than 10 volunteer teams affiliated with the Union in Istanbul, Kutahya, Bolu, Kastmona, Duzce, Ankara, and Yulfa joined the relief centers deployed to collect in-kind aid and send it to the affected areas.
Many engineering graduates and medical students also joined the Disaster Management Corporation (AFAD) upon its request as many of them went to the affected areas for technical assistance with engineers examining the damage and medical students helping doctors in hospitals.
The death toll from the devastating earthquake that struck southern Turkey and northwestern Syria rose to more than 11,200 people.
According to official figures, 8,574 people died in Turkey, and 2,662 in Syria, bringing the total death toll to 11,236.
The number of victims among Palestinian people in Turkey has reached 20 so far, in addition to 48 Palestinian refugees in Syria.
Source: Palestine News and Information Agency