Emergency personnel work at the site of a collapsed building following a major earthquake, in Hatay, Turkey, 08 February 2023. More than 7,000 people have died and thousands more injured after two major earthquakes struck southern Turkey and northern Syria on 06 February. Authorities fear the death toll will keep climbing as rescuers look for survivors across the region. EPA-EFE/ERDEM SAHIN
MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday assured Filipinos affected by the powerful Turkey-Syria earthquake that their embassies were working to address their needs.
DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza said the embassy teams continue to monitor the situation, determine the condition of affected Filipinos, and coordinate with host governments should there be a need to conduct a visit.
“With the leadership of (Philippine ambassador to Turkey Maria Elena Algabre) Ambassador Algabre and also with the (chef de mission) in Syria, they will do what needs to be done to get to the Filipinos who need help. Because that is part of our priority thrust. We have to deal with and help Filipinos who are in need,” Daza told reporters in Manila.
The Philippine Embassy in Turkey earlier said it has been receiving "confirmed and unconfirmed reports of Filipinos experiencing varying levels of distress." It said it would act swiftly on all confirmed reports.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier ordered an 85-person team composed of disaster response specialists and healthcare workers to be deployed to Turkey and Syria.
“We have organized a group of about 85 personnel together with some goods. Ang hinahanap sa atin ay mga blanket, mga winter clothing dahil syempre, ‘yung mga nasiraan ng bahay sa Turkey ay wala na silang tirahan,” Marcos Jr. said Tuesday.
The Filipino community in Turkey also reported that 3 Filipinas have gone missing following the powerful quake, along with 3 children.
According to a tally by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) on Wednesday, some 193 Filipinos were affected by the earthquake in 3 Turkish provinces: 113 in Hatay, 51 in Adana, and 29 in Gaziantep.
Officially, the death toll from the disaster stood at 6,957 people dead in Turkey and 2,547 in Syria, bringing the total to 9,504 as of Wednesday afternoon. But that could yet double if the worst fears of experts are realized.
— With a report from Agence France-Presse
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