KSrelief to Construct 3,000 Units for Earthquake Victims in Türkiye, Syria

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu with the delegation of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) (SPA)
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu with the delegation of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) (SPA)
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KSrelief to Construct 3,000 Units for Earthquake Victims in Türkiye, Syria

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu with the delegation of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) (SPA)
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu with the delegation of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) (SPA)

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) announced Tuesday that the eighth relief plane landed at Aleppo International Airport as part of the Saudi air bridge to help the victims of the devastating earthquake that struck Syria and Türkiye, leaving more than 35,000 dead and wounded.

Advisor at the Royal Court and general supervisor of KSrelief, Abdullah al-Rabeeah, said the center was able to provide temporary tents for those affected by the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria and is considering constructing 3,000 temporary buildings for these people.

Rabeeah said in a televised interview that Saudi Arabia was one of the first countries to reach the quake-hit regions immediately after the disaster and provided many food, shelter materials, medicines, and health supplies.

He pointed out that the areas affected by the earthquake need services that are not limited to rapid intervention only, adding that the center and its participants will continue to provide aid for weeks and perhaps months.

According to the Center, the eighth plane that landed at Aleppo Airport carried food, and medical and shelter supplies weighing 35.3 tonnes.

For his part, the Director of the Operations Support Department, Faleh al-Subaie, explained that the Saudi bridge included the entry of relief trucks across the Turkish-Syrian border.

He indicated, in televised statements, that the plane that landed at Aleppo Airport was the first, and additional flights would follow on Wednesday and Thursday.

Subaie asserted that the center would send more aid planes if needed, based on the assessment of the situation.

The new aid shipment is part of the Saudi relief airlift dispatched by KSrelief to help the victims of earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye upon the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu lauded the quick response of Saudi relief teams to rescue earthquake victims, confirming that it embodies the depth of relations between the two countries.

Cavusoglu met with the delegation of KSrelief and the Saudi Red Crescent, taking part in the process of helping the victims of earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye. He thanked the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and the Crown Prince.



Gulf, EU Leaders Meet for First Summit against Background of Mideast Turmoil

European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Saudi Arabia Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud pose during an official welcome ceremony on the day of the joint European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, in Brussels Belgium October 16, 2024. (Reuters)
European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Saudi Arabia Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud pose during an official welcome ceremony on the day of the joint European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, in Brussels Belgium October 16, 2024. (Reuters)
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Gulf, EU Leaders Meet for First Summit against Background of Mideast Turmoil

European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Saudi Arabia Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud pose during an official welcome ceremony on the day of the joint European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, in Brussels Belgium October 16, 2024. (Reuters)
European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Saudi Arabia Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud pose during an official welcome ceremony on the day of the joint European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, in Brussels Belgium October 16, 2024. (Reuters)

The leaders of six Gulf nations and European Union met for an inaugural summit on Wednesday against a backdrop of turmoil in the Middle East and struggles to find a unified position on the war in Ukraine and relations with Russia.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, led Saudi Arabia’s delegation to the meeting in Brussels.

The summit was expected to encompass everything from visas and trade to the situation in the Middle East.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said the summit was “long overdue” and added that “the economic ties between the European Union and the Gulf countries need to be strengthened."

“They are there, but they have the potential to be developed much, much further,” he said.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that “to be strategic partners means to listen to each other, to respect each other, to trust each other.”

She also highlighted the need for cooperation on pressing geopolitical issues like the war in Ukraine and that of Israel against Hamas and Hezbollah groups.

“We cannot implement our economic ambitions without security,” she said.

The 27-nation EU has long had relations with the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which include Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait.