Turkey is preparing to send 90 tons of relief supplies to the Philippines, which was hit by Typhoon Haiyan and is struggling to recover amid fears that the death toll will rise Today`s Zaman reportefd.
A statement from the Prime Ministry's Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) said on Sunday that as a first step Turkey will send 1,000 tents, 8,000 blankets and 1,000 kitchen tools in addition to food aid to the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a telegram to President Benigno Aquino III, offering his condolences and pledging to deliver support and aid to the disaster-stricken country.
Turkey will also send search and rescue teams to the areas where emergency crews are still looking for survivors. As many as 10,000 people are believed dead in one city alone after one of the worst storms ever recorded unleashed ferocious winds and giant waves that washed away homes and schools.
Officials projected the death toll would climb even higher when emergency crews reach areas cut off by flooding and landslides. Even in the disaster-prone Philippines, which regularly contends with earthquakes, volcanoes and tropical cyclones, Typhoon Haiyan appears to be the deadliest natural disaster on record.