ANKARA: Pakistani doctors tending to earthquake victims in Turkey’s southern Hatay province say their efforts reflect the spirit of brotherhood between the two nations.
“Our team is here to support earthquake victims,” Waqas Ahmed, a Pakistani doctor, told Anadolu Agency at a tent city set up in Hatay’s Defne district.
Ahmed is part of a team that has come from Germany as part of an aid mission by Humanity First, an international charity focused on disaster relief.
He said the team has been treating physical injuries, such as cuts and wounds, as well as providing psychological support for trauma.
Ahmed, the field director for Humanity First at the tent city, said the team has so far tended to some 8,000 patients.
“We are trying to do our best to help people,” he said.
Recalling Turkey’s help after a 2005 quake in Pakistan, he added: “We should not forget that that humanity comes first, no matter our color, religion or nationality. We must keep that in mind.”
The February 6 twin tremors have affected more than 13 million people in southern Turkey, while the death toll is now over 44,200.
The 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude quakes were centered in Kahramanmaras and struck 10 other provinces — Adana, Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Elazig, Hatay, Gaziantep, Kilis, Malatya, Osmaniye, and Sanliurfa.
