Brussels (dpa) – The international community is mobilising seven billion euros for the victims of the earthquake disaster in Turkey and Syria. Following a donor conference in Brussels on Monday, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that, together, the participants had exceeded expectations. “When tragedy strikes, there is only one answer, and that is solidarity.” Germany alone announced that it would be more than doubling the earthquake aid it has provided for the two countries so far to around 240 million euros. It was stated that the lion’s share of this would go to Turkey because access to that country was easier.
On 6 February, two powerful earthquakes had shaken the southeast of Turkey and the north of Syria. Almost 57,000 lost their lives, and millions were made homeless.