NATO Builds Shelter For 4,000 Turkish Earthquake Victims In Hatay

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited earthquake victims. (Source: Presidency of The Republic of Turkey)

JAKARTA - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) built temporary shelters for 4,000 earthquake victims in Antakya and Iskenderun Districts, Hatay Province, Turkey, following a devastating earthquake last month that killed tens of thousands of people in the southeast of Turkey and Syria.

"NATO's allies and partners continue to provide assistance to Turkey," the alliance said in a statement, reported by the Daily Sabah March 17.

The NATO Support and Procurement Agency is building temporary shelters for 4,000 people in Antakya and Iskenderun.

Camps in Antahya are expected to open in mid-April with a capacity to accommodate more than 2,400 people.

NATO members also agreed to build a similar facility to accommodate an additional 4,000 people in Defne, another district, as a form of solidarity with Turkey.

In recent weeks, NATO has flown more than 10,000 tents, blankets, and medical equipment from Pakistan. Meanwhile, France also sent 5,000 tents and thousands of blankets.

It is known that nearly 50,000 people died in Turkey after an earthquake measuring 7.8 on a 7.8 SR and 7.5 SR rocked 10 provinces on February 6, officials said.

Around 13.5 million people in Turkey were affected by the large earthquake that hit Kahramanmara Province

The devastating earthquake also rocked several neighboring countries, causing widespread destruction in northern Syria, where nearly 3,500 people were killed.