The UAE Search And Rescue Mission In Turkey Has Ended

The Turkish Emergency And Disaster Organisation announced the end of search and rescue operations in the country. The United Arab Emirates launched a search and rescue mission in Turkey which lasted for 14 days.

During the mission, the team rescued 10 people and recovered 26 bodies from the rubble in Kahramanmaras. The rescue operation was launched as part of Operation Gallant Knight/2 by the Joint Operations Command of the Ministry of Defence, after an earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on February 6.

In total, 118 flights carrying 3,375 tonnes of food, medical supplies, and shelter tents were sent to the two countries. Specifically, 76 cargo planes delivered 2,535 tonnes of relief products to Syria, while 42 planes carrying 840 tonnes of aid arrived in Turkey.

“The Joint Operations Command of the Ministry of Defense announced the end of the operations of the search and rescue team from the Ministry of Interior participating in Operation Gallant Knight / 2 in Turkey, after the Turkish Emergency and Disaster Organization (AFAD) announced the end of search and rescue operations in Turkey,” the Ministry of Defence of the United Arab Emirates wrote on their official Twitter account.

أعلنت قيادة العمليات المشتركة بوزارة الدفاع عن انتهاء عمليات فريق البحث والإنقاذ من وزارة الداخلية المشارك في عملية الفارس الشهم/2 في تركيا، وذلك بعد إعلان منظمة الطوارئ والكوارث التركية (AFAD) عن إنتهاء عمليات البحث والإنقاذ في تركيا. pic.twitter.com/hyhGqmQWLr

— وزارة الدفاع |MOD UAE (@modgovae) February 20, 2023

The UAE also set up two field hospitals in Turkey to provide medical assistance to the affected people. The first hospital, a 50-bed facility, was opened at Gaziantep Airport. The second field hospital, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Field Hospital, was established in the Reyhanli district of Hatay.

The UAE has a long history of providing aid and relief to those affected by natural disasters, conflicts, and humanitarian crises worldwide.