President Joe Biden issued a statement Monday morning lamenting the loss of thousands of lives in Turkey and Syria and promising the United States will assist with recovery efforts.
More than 1,900 people have been killed after a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked the two countries.
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“My administration has been working closely with our NATO ally Turkiye, and I authorized an immediate U.S. response,” Biden said. “At my direction, senior American officials reached out immediately to their Turkish counterparts to coordinate any and all needed assistance.”
Orhan Tatar, director of Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management agency, or AFAD, gave the latest death toll of 1,121 people in Turkey alone, along with 7,634 injured and 2,834 buildings damaged, CNN reported. In Syria, the earthquake rocked both government and rebel-held areas, killing a combined total of 810, with more than 2,300 injured, the Washington Post reported, citing opposition and government sources.
Biden said the U.S. is already working to help.
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“Our teams are deploying quickly to begin to support Turkish search and rescue efforts and address the needs of those injured and displaced by the earthquake,” he said. “U.S.-supported humanitarian partners are also responding to the destruction in Syria. Today, our hearts and our deepest condolences are with all those who have lost precious loved ones, those who are injured, and those who saw their homes and businesses destroyed.”
