By Marcus Suner

According to the Philippine embassy in Ankara, Turkey last February 11, two Filipinos have perished from the 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that struck the southern regions of the country and the northern provinces of Syria, respectively, in the early hours of February 6, 2023.

One Filipino, previously reported as missing in the city of Antakya, had just been found alive. Meanwhile, more than 10 Filipino families are being relocated from Antakya to the capital city of Ankara.

As of writing, the death toll has risen to above 34,000, with Turkey accounting for 29,600 deaths and Syria counting roughly 3,600 casualties.

Last February 10, the Philippine Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contingent assisted in rescue, relief, and evacuation operations in the city of Adiyaman. 

The 82-personnel contingent is comprised of 30 representatives from the Department of Health, 21 from the 525th Engineer Combat Battalion of the Philippine Army, 12 from the 505th Search and Rescue Group of the Philippine Air Force, nine from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, eight from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, and two from the Office of Civil Defense.

In addition, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) made a donation of around $200,000 to both affected countries for relief and rescue operations. They are in constant communication with Turkish and Syrian counterparts, most notably the Turkish Red Crescent Society (TRCS).

The CEO of the PRC Richard Gordon highlighted their “special relations” with the TRCS given that they were one of the first to respond with assistance and a contingent team back in 2013 when Typhoon Yolanda struck the Philippines.

Other notable international contingents present are the 300-personnel contingent from Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations, the United States of America’s 100-personnel contingent from the Los Angeles County, 76 search and rescue specialists from the United Kingdom, and an 82-strong earthquake rescue team from the People’s Republic of China.

In a statement from Fitch Ratings, an international finance and insurance company, the earthquake could cost upwards of about $4 billion USD in damages. However, estimates are admittedly difficult to make, given the active state of war present in the affected regions prior to this geological event.

A United Nations report dated February 11 reported that more than 81,000 citizens have been evacuated from affected areas, with around 30,000 search and rescue personnel and 6,800 international personnel currently present in the afflicted areas.

Thumbnail from Al Jazeera