James Cleverly said that the Foreign Office is helping 35 more British disaster victims.
Three British nationals are missing as a result of the earthquakes that devastated Turkey and Syria, according to the foreign secretary.
James Cleverly stated in the House of Commons, “As of this morning, we know that three British nationals are missing.”
He said the Foreign Office Crisis Response Hub is helping at least 35 British disaster victims.
Mr. Cleverly stated, “We assess that the likelihood of large-scale British casualties remains low.”
Turkey-Syria earthquake
Rescuers have been searching for survivors in severely cold weather after Monday morning’s 7.8-magnitude earthquake.
In Turkey and Syria, at least 5,200 people have perished, and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the death toll might exceed 20,000 in the coming days.
Mr. Cleverly told MPs that the Turkish government is demanding foreign support “on a scale commensurate with the gravity of the circumstances they face.”
Informing the Commons of the United Kingdom’s response. He stated: “More than 6,000 structures have collapsed across the region populated by more than 12 million people. The infrastructure for electricity and gas has been seriously affected.
“The impacted provinces are home to a significant proportion of Turkey’s 3.5 million Syrian refugees. The sheer magnitude of this calamity has put a strain on the exceptional disaster relief response capabilities of Turkey.
“The Turkish government has declared a state of emergency and is requesting foreign aid appropriate to the situation.
Turkey will lead disaster relief efforts in Syria’s regions where it has a foothold.
Mr. Cleverly also informed MPs that he has “already authorized the deployment of a medical assessment team” in response to the earthquake, adding, “The other phases of necessity will grow over time, and we will work closely with our international allies to ensure that we handle that.”
Feryal Clark, a Labour MP, told the Commons: “My family, like many members of the British Kurdish-Turkish community, awoke yesterday seeking information about the safety of our distant relatives in Turkey.
We are fortunate that the majority of our family is safe.
