The Republic of Armenia is ready to send basic necessities in humanitarian aid to earthquake-affected regions of Turkey and Syria, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said at a joint press conference with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock in Berlin.
“We are also considering sending rescue teams to the sites to provide assistance on the ground,” the Foreign Minister said.
“In 1988 we experienced the devastating consequences of the earthquake, and back then we were not left alone. We received support from the international community and must be ready to extend a helping hand to all peoples that need the help due to natural disasters,” Ararat Mirzoyans said.
An international aid effort is being stepped up in southern Turkey and northern Syria following a huge earthquake that has killed more than 5,000 people.
Rescuers are racing to save people trapped beneath the rubble after thousands of buildings collapsed in both countries.
The 7.8 magnitude quake struck near Gaziantep (Aintap) in the early hours of Monday while people were asleep.
A 7.5-magnitude tremor then hit at around 13:30 local time (10:30 GMT), which officials said was “not an aftershock.”
The country’s disaster agency says more than 3,419 people were killed in Turkey alone after the first quake, and more than 15,000 were injured.
More than 1,600 people are reported to have died in Syria.
