The United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is airlifting more than $2.5 million worth of emergency relief supplies to the people of Türkiye following the devastating February 6 earthquakes. Today, U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye Jeffry L. Flake met the arrival of the initial delivery of these supplies at Adana airport while the supplies were loaded onto trucks for delivery to affected communities. Over the coming days, USAID will transport relief supplies on approximately ten flights with more than 1.8 million pounds of supplies of kitchen sets, hygiene kits, heavy duty plastic sheeting for temporary shelters, and high thermal blankets to provide for hundreds of thousands of people.
The United States continues to stand in solidarity with the people of Türkiye and Syria during this challenging time and is providing more than $85 million in life-saving humanitarian assistance, including the $2.5 million in relief supplies announced today, to the people impacted by the earthquakes. We are committed to meeting urgent needs to help both countries recover from this disaster.
Today's airlift of USAID humanitarian supplies is part of broader efforts as the Agency continues to lead the U.S. government response to the earthquakes. USAID's partner the International Organization for Migration (IOM) will distribute the supplies in coordination with the Government of Türkiye.
This comes at a critical moment in the disaster response as USAID prioritizes the rapid delivery of relief supplies. The devastating earthquakes have left at least 150,000 people homeless in Türkiye, and more than one million people are sheltering at temporary sites. The quakes have damaged and destroyed hospitals, and limited access to safe drinking water and sanitation services. In response, USAID is supporting IOM to deliver urgent relief to people of Türkiye in the most affected regions to address humanitarian needs during the cold winter months.
