U.S. promises swift aid to Turkey and Syria after deadly earthquake

The U.S. is moving quickly to nonstop assistance to Turkey and Syria arsenic nan decease toll from a powerful earthquake continues to rise, President Joe Biden said Monday.

“My Administration has been moving intimately pinch our NATO Ally Turkiye, and I authorized an contiguous U.S. response. At my direction, elder American officials reached retired instantly to their Turkish counterparts to coordinate immoderate and each needed assistance,” Biden said successful a statement. “Our teams are deploying quickly to statesman to support Turkish hunt and rescue efforts and reside nan needs of those injured and displaced by nan earthquake. U.S.-supported humanitarian partners are besides responding to nan demolition successful Syria.”

The deadly 7.8 magnitude earthquake toppled hundreds of residential buildings successful Turkey and Syria early Monday greeting section time, according to reporting from The Associated Press. The decease toll is expected to emergence arsenic rescue workers proceed to excavation done nan rubble crossed some countries.

The U.S. consequence “is already underway,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday. “We are wished to do each that we tin to thief those affected by these earthquakes successful nan days, weeks, and months ahead.”

Late Sunday evening, nationalist information advisor Jake Sullivan said nan White House was “profoundly concerned” by first reports of nan devastation caused by nan quake, adding that nan U.S. was “ready to supply immoderate and each needed assistance,” to nan region.

“President Biden has directed USAID and different national authorities partners to measure U.S. consequence options to thief those astir affected,” Sullivan said successful a statement. “We will proceed to intimately show nan business successful coordination pinch nan Government of Turkiye.”

The earthquake was felt arsenic acold distant arsenic Cairo, and impacted a swath of onshore stretching from Aleppo successful Syria to Diyarbakir successful Turkey, according to The Associated Press.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries pledged to activity pinch nan White House to present assistance to nan region.

“House Democrats will activity pinch President Biden and nan management to supply nan support and assistance of USAID arsenic a complete consequence is assessed, and I will activity pinch my colleagues connected each levels of authorities to widen further thief during this clip of urgent need. My prayers are pinch each affected by this tremendous and tragic nonaccomplishment of life,” Jeffries said successful a connection Monday.