The Diplomat
The Spanish Red Cross is sending more than 105 tons of humanitarian aid to help those affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, which occurred a week ago and has caused the death of more than 31,600 people.
According to the organization, the Spanish Red Cross is organizing the shipment of humanitarian aid material from its Red Cross warehouses in Valencia, Catalonia, the Canary Islands and Madrid. The shipment, which includes jerry cans for transporting safe water, plastic tarpaulins, blankets and kitchen kits, is expected to arrive at its destination at the end of this week. The shipment is part of an appeal launched by the Turkish and Syrian Arab Red Crescent to Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies to help those affected by the earthquake.
More than 105,000 people have been rescued from under the rubble since the earthquake struck. To alleviate the growing needs of the population in terms of warm clothing or food supplies, the Spanish Red Cross is sending, specifically, “2,950 20-liter jerry cans to carry safe water, 3,800 wool blankets, 2,200 blankets of medium thermal capacity, 15,700 plastic tarpaulins and 4,400 kitchen kits,” according to Iñigo Vila, director of the organization’s Emergency Unit.
These materials are part of the large stock that the Red Cross has prepared for emergency situations in its warehouses in Catalonia, Valencia, Madrid and the Canary Islands, from where the materials are being organized for shipment as soon as possible. The company Vueling will collaborate in the transport of this merchandise and will be in charge of delivering almost ten tons of this material to Turkey as soon as possible. Likewise, the Generalitat Valenciana has financed 1,200 blankets and 1,980 of the tarpaulins sent.
Apart from this, the Spanish Red Cross has opened channels of help for the population affected by the earthquake: Bizum to 33512, SMS with the word TERREMOTO to 38088 (donation three euros), calls to 900 104 971 and other donation channels through www.cruzroja.es.
