World

Turkey, Syria earthquake: How and what to donate to UAE relief efforts

As the death toll from this week’s massive earthquakes and aftershocks in Syria and Turkey passed 21,700 as of Friday morning, the world is coming together to help the embattled countries and provide vital aid for the tens of thousands of citizens left without shelter and vital supplies.

Countless victims, many of whom have lost their homes, have been left without provisions to survive harsh winter conditions and need urgent relief aid.

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Campaigns in the UAE

In the United Arab Emirates, the Emirates Red Crescent on Wednesday announced its campaign to help people affected by the earthquakes in, naming it “Bridges of Good.”

The drive will begin packing initial aid on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition center and Dubai Exhibition Center at Expo City Dubai.

The campaign will run for two weeks where volunteers are needed to help pack relief boxes for survivors of the earthquakes.

Suggested donation items include winter clothes, blankets, canned food and baby food, and personal hygiene items including diapers, wipes and sanitary pads.

The campaign is being organized in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation and the Ministry of Community Development. Anyone who wants to volunteer can register via the website volunteers.ae.

Omer Faruk Telbisoglu, 30, lies on a stretcher after he was rescued, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Kahramanmaras, Turkey February 10, 2023. (Reuters)

More than a dozen humanitarian organizations across the UAE are participating in the campaign. These include Dubai Cares, the Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities in Dubai, the Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and Humanitarian Foundation, the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity

“Bridges of Good” is one of several humanitarian missions being staged across the UAE.

Turkey’s consulate in Dubai has also launched a donation drive for vital food and winter clothing to support survivors. Across the emirate, members of the public are being invited to supply essentials, including clothing and food.

Meanwhile, the Turkish embassy in Abu Dhabi set up a donation drive for UAE residents to donate items urgently needed in Turkey and Syria. Those who wish to donate large quantities of items can drop them off at the CSS Homeward Bound transportation company warehouse directly.

International aid efforts

Internationally, hundreds of donation sites by international charities and local community groups from all over the world have also been created to help those in need.

Among those, UNICEF is working to provide immediate assistance with search and rescue, coordinating evacuations, and distributing hygiene kits, blankets and warm clothing.

“Children who are now in immediate danger of being hurt or killed in the oncoming aftershocks and collapse of infrastructures need urgent shelter, safe drinking water, and hygiene essentials,” the charity said in an online appeal for donations.

“Eleven years into the conflict, economic downturn, and displacement have left hundreds of thousands of families struggling to survive in Syria. Now, the impact of such a devastating earthquake makes the situation even more desperate.”

Hulya Kabakulak is carried after being rescued after 90 hours, as the search for survivors continues, in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Hatay, Turkey, February 9, 2023. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) – an international organization that provides medical aid to various countries in need – has been treating people in Turkey in their associated hospitals and has been donating emergency medical kits to other people in the region. It has also urged people to donate through its website.

Another charity that is counting on public donations is the Syrian American Medical Society, which has provided humanitarian and medical relief for Syria and Turkey since 2011.

They are currently providing medical assistance at the Bab al-Hawa hospital in Syria for victims of the earthquake.

Care International, a humanitarian organization that has presence in Turkey and Syria, has also urged people to give emergency aid including food, shelter, hygiene kits, cold weather supplies and cash assistance.

In a public appeal, Red Crescent organizations in both Syria and Turkey have asked people to donate first aid kids, blankets and clothes.

It said it urgently needs items including biscuits, bread, energy bars, flour, ready-to-eat meals, pasta, rice, milk, and baby formula.

The Syria Civil defense – known as the White Helmets – is a humanitarian organization specializing in search and rescue operations and its team of volunteers are continuing to work around the clock in a race against time to find survivors of the earthquake.

Members of the Syrian civil defense, known as the White Helmets, transport a casualty from the rubble of buildings in the village of Azmarin in Syria’s rebel-held northwestern Idlib province at the border with Turkey following an earthquake, on February 7, 2023. (AFP)

The group has solicited donations through its website.

“There is an urgent need for additional search and rescue equipment, heavy equipment, spare parts and fuel due to the number of collapsed buildings and to the damage to existing equipment,” the Syria Civil defense wrote in a statement. “White Helmets equipment and supplies are not currently sufficient to meet these urgent needs. The White Helmets calls on all humanitarian organizations and international donors to provide material support and to help organizations responding to this disaster and to urgently assist victims of the earthquake.”

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the border region between Turkey and Syria, an area home to more than 13.5 million people, on Monday.

The death toll from the earthquake, which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called “the disaster of the century,” has risen past 21,000, eclipsing the more than 18,400 who died in the 2011 earthquake off Fukushima, Japan, that triggered a tsunami and the estimated 18,000 people who died in a temblor near the Turkish capital, Istanbul, in 1999.

The new figure, which is certain to rise, included over 17,600 people in Turkey and more than 3,300 in civil war-torn Syria. Tens of thousands were also injured and many tens of thousands have been left homeless.

Turkey-Syria earthquake death toll tops 20,000 as hope to find survivors fades

Turkey-Syria earthquake: UAE mosques to hold absentee funeral prayers for victims

World

Saudi Fund for Development Celebrates 50 Years of Global Impact with Over $20 Billion in Development Contributions

The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) celebrated its 50th anniversary in Riyadh today, under
the theme “50 Years of Global Impact.”The event brought together key development partners to
reflect on the SFD’s significant contributions to sustainable development worldwide. Over the
past five decades, the SFD has allocated over $20 billion, financing more than 800 development
projects and programs in vital sectors, including social infrastructure (education, healthcare,
water and sewage, and housing and urban development), communication and transportation
(roads, railways, airports and seaports), energy, agriculture, mining and industry, and others.
Since its inception in 1974, the SFD has been the international development arm of the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia and has provided critical support to over 100 developing nations around the
world. With a strong focus on supporting countries to achieve the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs), the SFD has played a pivotal role in driving sustainable development in Least
Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
During the event, SFD Chairman H.E. Ahmed Al-Khateeb emphasized the importance of
collaboration in driving global development. He highlighted that SFD’s success is deeply rooted
in its partnerships, with 27 development projects and programs in 23 developing countries in
2023 co-financed with other funders. He also underscored the need to forge new partnerships and
strengthen existing ones to create a world where every individual has the opportunity to reach
their full potential.
Reflecting on this significant milestone, the SFD CEO , Mr. Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-
Marshad, stated: “As we celebrate five decades of impactful work, we are committed, now more
than ever, to supporting developing countries on their journey to economic self-reliance and
resilience. Our goal is to ensure that all children can go to school, that education is not a
privilege but something every child should have access to, and that families have access to
healthcare and basic vital services. Equally, we focus on critical infrastructure development, like
building roads and enhancing airports and sea ports, so that countries can thrive and engage in
economic activities and trade. This work is not just about financing; it’s about tangibly
improving lives, creating opportunities, empowering communities, and building a more
prosperous future.”
On the sidelines of the 50 th Anniversary Gala, the SFD and the Asian Development Bank (ADB)
signed a new $25 million agreement to co-finance a renewable energy development project in the
Solomon Islands. This marks the first project for SFD in the Solomon Islands. The primary aim

of the project is to develop renewable energy infrastructure, reduce dependency on fossil fuels,
and promote sustainable development in the region.
This agreement builds on SFD’50 years of transformative impact through development projects
that have spanned Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Eastern
Europe.
This includes key projects such as the Metolong Dam in Lesotho, which received $25 million in
funding and now provides potable water to 280,000 people, enhancing water security and public
hygiene and health in the region. This is just one of the 433 projects across Africa, with a total
funding of $11.5 billion, which focuses on critical areas such as infrastructure and water security.
In Asia, the SFD has funded 271 projects with a total funding of $7.8 billion. One notable
example is the SFD’s contribution to the Mohmand Dam Hydropower Project in Pakistan, which
has an overall project cost of $240 million. The projects contributes to the country’s energy
security and flood resilience by generating 800 megawatts of renewable energy and storing 1.6
million cubic meters of water.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, the SFD has financed 21 projects, totaling $951 million
USD. This includes rehabilitating the Water and Sewage System in Havana, Cuba, where the
SFD has allocated $35 million to enhance public infrastructure. Another significant initiative is
the rebuilding of St. Jude Hospital in Saint Lucia, supported by $75 million funding, which will
contribute to providing high-quality health services to citizens in a modern and sophisticated
facility and providing sufficient medical supplies and equipment to support the effective
operation of the hospital.
In Eastern Europe, the SFD has contributed to 14 projects with a total investment of $303
million. A key initiative is the construction of the Tirana-Elbasan-Chokos-Chalf-Ploce Road,
where the SFD provided $73.8 million to rebuild essential roads and bridges, thereby boosting
regional economic activities.
During the celebration, esteemed speakers shared insights on the SFD’s pivotal role in global
development, and in championing critical partnerships and collective action and response.
Keynote speakers included:

 HRH Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud, Founder and Trustee of the King Faisal
Foundation
 H.E. Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the SFD
 H.E. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group
 H.E. Muhammad Al Jasser, Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank

These global development leaders emphasized the SFD’s commitment to fostering sustainable
growth in countries and communities with the most pressing developmental needs. The gala was attended by more than 500 people, including ministers, heads of regional and international organizations, ambassadors, representatives of the United and other distinguished
guests. As the SFD looks to the future, it reaffirms its mission and pledge to drive international
development efforts, on behalf of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and to contribute to global
stability, social progress, and economic prosperity for future generations.

World

Jordan warns of escalation in southern Lebanon

Jordan warned on Sunday of the increasing escalation in southern Lebanon and a potential regional war in light of the ongoing Israeli aggression in Gaza, Jordan News Agency (Petra) reported.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sufian Qudah discussed supporting Lebanon, its security, stability and the safety of its people and institutions, noting the need to adhere to Security Council Resolution 1701 to reduce and prevent further escalation and protect the region from the risk of slipping into a regional war.

Qudah added that the Israeli war on Gaza and the failure to reach an exchange agreement that leads to an immediate and permanent ceasefire puts the entire region at risk of the conflict expanding.

He discussed launching an effective international movement that imposes an immediate cessation of the aggression on Gaza.

World

China issues guidelines for coordinated digital, green transformation

China’s Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission and nine central departments have issued new guidelines for the coordinated transformation toward digital development and green growth, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Published on Saturday, the guidelines focus on two main areas: promoting the green, low-carbon development of digital industries and accelerating the green transformation of various sectors through digital technology.

They aim to accelerate the coordinated transformation toward digital development and green growth, promote the integration of emerging technologies with green, low-carbon industries, and enhance traditional industries using digital and green technologies.

Outlining fundamental principles, the guidelines specify the roles of authorities, industry associations, universities, research institutes and businesses in driving this transition.

They provide a three-part framework covering the basic capacity, technological systems and industrial systems for digital-green integration.

Regions are encouraged to focus on high-quality development, develop new quality productive forces, leverage local resources and create specialized industries and functional advantages to accelerate coordinated digital and green development.