The World Bank has announced the release of $1.78 billion in emergency aid to support disaster relief efforts and provide humanitarian aid following the February 6 earthquake in Turkey and Syria, where more than 33,000 people are reported to have died as of February 12.

Immediate funding of $780 million has been directed to existing bank projects—the Türkiye Earthquake, Floods and Wildfires Emergency Reconstruction Project and the Climate and Disaster Resilient Cities Project—to address the emergency response and help rebuild basic infrastructure at the municipal level. An additional $1 billion in operations funding is being readied in support of affected people and communities.

Turkish Philanthropy Funds, a New York City-based public charity, has raised more than $6.8 million in support of relief efforts. In addition, Direct Relief announced an additional $3 million commitment following 10,000 contributions from more than 70 countries and pledges made by several corporations.

Corporations in Germany, which is home to more than three million ethnic Turks and approximately a million refugees from the Syrian civil war, have responded to the humanitarian crisis with direct aid, including Allianz, which has committed €6 million ($6.4 million), including €500,000 ($533,000) in aid already delivered, and €1 million to match employee donations; Bayer, which awarded a total of €1.5 million ($1.6 million) to the Turkish Red Crescent and Ahbap, and €200,000 ($213,000) to Syria by way of the German Red Cross; Deutsche Telekom, which has pledged €1 million ($1.07 million) as well as free calling from its network between Germany, Turkey, and Syria; and Mercedes-Benz, which has committed €1 million ($1.07 million).

Turkish Airlines has provided air travel to 12,000 volunteers at the cost of $5.30 per ticket. Pegasus Airlines is offering free flights and transport into the affected regions and has made direct contributions totaling $424,000 to Ahbap and AFAD, the Turkish emergency management agency. FedEx has contributed $100,000 to the Turkish Red Crescent and is providing the Turkish government with access to its fleet of cargo planes; Amazon has awarded a total of $600,000 to the World Food Program, Save the Children, UNICEF, Turkish Red Crescent, AKUT, and Ahbap, and is bolstering Help.NGO’s capacity with trained technical volunteers and technology support.

Other corporate contributions include: $1 million in direct funding from Accenture, which will also match funds contributed by its employees; $1 million in construction equipment from Korea’s Doosan Group; $1 million from Novartis; €1 million ($1.07 million) in essential medicines and vaccines from Sanofi and €2 million ($2.14 million) in emergency funding through the Sanofi Foundation; and $1 million from Pfizer to the American Red Cross/Turkish Red Crescent and International Medical Corps.

Through USAID, the United States has announced $85 million in aid to provide emergency food and shelter for refugees and newly displaced people, as well as winter supplies, critical health care services, safe drinking water, and hygiene and sanitation assistance. In addition, it will deploy a 200-member disaster response team that includes disaster experts and search-and-rescue teams with trained dogs.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced a $13.6 million contribution to its national fundraising effort from Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi—the wife of the first emir of Abu Dhabi, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan—who directed the gift from the Sheikha Fatima Fund for Refugee Women. Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center announced a SR13 million ($3.5 million) contribution to relief efforts, bringing the total raised by Saudi citizens and residents to SR65.9 million ($17.5 million).

The United Kingdom announced it raised £55.3 million ($66.7 million) from public contributions to a newly created Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC), to which the government has pledged an additional £5 million ($6 million) in matching funds. Contributors to the DEC include members of the British royal family as well as the Scottish government, which contributed £500,000 ($600,000). Canada announced C$10 million ($7.5 million) in direct aid as well as an additional C$10 million in matching funds to its own DEC. And New Zealand has committed an additional NZ$3 million ($1.9 million) to relief efforts through the World Food Program and UNICEF—more than doubling its earlier pledge.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia/Tasnim News Agency)