ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Embassy of Türkiye thanked Kazakhstan's citizens and organizations such as the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation for donating over $10 million to the Turkish Emergency Management Agency (AFAD) to help the victims of the deadly earthquake that took place this February and to provide support in dealing with the consequences of the natural disaster.
The assistance provided by Kazakh people included humanitarian aid beyond monetary support. A rescue team of 100 people arrived in Gaziantep the day after the earthquake to save victims who were stuck under the rubble. Separately, many Kazakh citizens came together to purchase emergency supplies such as diesel generators, tents, blankets and sleeping bags which were delivered by a Turkish Airlines aircraft to charity organizations in Türkiye.
"We highly appreciate this significant and timely support which continues the tradition of cooperation and mutual assistance between our fraternal peoples," Turkish Ambassador Mustafa Kapuca said.
He also thanked the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation for its $5 million donation. The Bulat Utemuratov Foundation was established in 2014. Since then, the foundation has been donating funds to victims of natural disasters in Kazakhstan, alongside its other areas of activity. Giving aid to cope with the shocking tragedy in Türkiye was part of the foundation's philanthropic efforts abroad.
The devastating earthquake in southeast Türkiye killed at least 45,000 people, and destroyed or severely damaged more than 160,000 buildings, leaving millions of people homeless. The World Bank estimated the damage from the earthquake to be at $34 billion.
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