British Nationals Missing in Turkey-Syria Earthquake
According to James Cleverly, the Foreign Office is working to assist an additional 35 British nationals who have been directly affected by the earthquakes.
The foreign secretary has confirmed that three British citizens are missing as a result of the earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria.
“As of this morning, we know that three British nationals are missing,” James Cleverly said in the Commons.
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He went on to say that the Foreign Office’s Crisis Response Hub is assisting at least 35 British nationals who have been directly impacted by the earthquakes.
“We continue to believe that the likelihood of large-scale British casualties is low,” Mr. Cleverly said.
ALSO READ: Earthquake in Turkey and Syria: 20,000 Feared Dead, Trapped in Icy Conditions
Since the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the region on Monday morning, rescuers have been working in freezing temperatures to find more survivors.
At least 5,200 people have died in Turkey and Syria, with the World Health Organization (WHO) warning that the death toll could rise to 20,000 in the coming days.
On the issue of aid, Mr. Cleverly told MPs the Turkish government is requesting international assistance “on a scale that matches the enormity of the situation that they are facing”.
In an update to the Commons on the UK response, he stated: “More than 6,000 buildings have collapsed across the region, which is home to more than 12 million people. The infrastructure for electricity and gas has been severely damaged.
“Many of Turkey’s 3.5 million Syrian refugees live in the affected provinces. The magnitude of this disaster has put Turkey’s exceptional disaster relief response capability to the ultimate test.
“The Turkish government has declared a state of emergency and is requesting international assistance on a scale commensurate with the gravity of the situation.
ALSO READ: Turkey Earthquake death toll could reach 10,000
“Turkey will lead the disaster relief response in areas where it has a presence in Syria.”
Mr. Cleverly also told MPs that he has “already authorized the deployment of a medical assessment team” to respond to the earthquake, and that “the further stages of requirement will evolve, and we will of course work closely with our international partners to ensure that we address that.”
“Like many British Kurdish-Turkish members of the community, my family woke up yesterday trying to find out whether our distant relatives, our relatives were safe in Turkey,” Labour MP Feryal Clark said in the Commons.
“We were extremely fortunate that the majority of our family is safe.”
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