The Saudi rescue team continues to coordinate with Turkish authorities during rescue missions to help the victims of the devastating earthquake that struck Türkiye and Syria.
Head of KSrelief’s emergency relief department Fahad al-Osaimi announced that the mission aims to attract more Saudi volunteers and experts specialized in search, rescue, and emergency to help in the mission.
Osaimi told Asharq Al-Awsat that arrangements seek to ensure the entry of more aid into northern Syria after Saudi Arabia was able to get the first international aid convoy to reach those affected by the earthquake in Syria.
He explained that the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) works in coordination with the Turkish side and reliable local Syrian authorities to ensure that Saudi aid crosses directly from the Olive Branch crossing to the Hammam crossing to the Syrians in need.
The Saudi team is specialized and internationally classified in rescue work, equipped with the latest mechanisms and particular devices to detect survivors under the rubble, said the official.
The Saudi rescue team includes around 150 members and consists of three entities including KSRelief, the Saudi Red Crescent, and the Civil Defense. Their efforts are concentrated in the Gaziantep region, one of the areas most affected by the earthquake.
Osaimi said that the event was fatal and the results were very devastating.
The efforts of the current stage are focused on search, rescue, and provision of health aid, said Osaimi, adding that the next step would include reconstruction and rehabilitation operations which would require significant effort.
Osaimi described that silence and anticipation control the scene, and distressed people eagerly await to save the remaining victims and find the missing persons.
Last Friday, Saudi Red Crescent and Civil Defense arrived in the affected areas to participate in the rescue operations.
The team included rescuers, doctors, emergency technicians, search supervisors, engineers, and security and safety technicians.
They were equipped with machinery, equipment, and medicines, proceeding to participate in the rescue operations and those affected by the earthquake in Syria and Türkiye.
International rescue teams face unique challenges during search and rescue operations, amid diminishing hopes of finding survivors under the rubble, eight days after the disaster.
In addition, the weather conditions and heavy rains impede the rescue mission in some Turkish and Syrian regions.
Furthermore, eleven Saudi relief trucks crossed the Olive Branch border crossing, carrying 104 tons of food and shelter materials into Syria.
KSRelief launched a national campaign to receive Saudi contributions and donations, which until Sunday amounted to about SR300 million.
