D-8 pledges support for Turkey-Syria quake victims as death toll nears 44,000

The D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation has expressed its condolences to the victims of the twin earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria last week.

D-8, also known as Developing-8, is an organisation for development cooperation among Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey.

The organisation focuses its activities on economic cooperation, with priorities in trade, agriculture and food security, energy, transportation, and tourism.

It is composed of senior officials of the ministries of foreign affairs of D-8 member countries.

In a statement issued on Friday by Isiaka Imam, secretary-general, following the 46th meeting of the group’s commissioners which was held from February 15-16 in Istanbul, Turkey, D-8 offered unanimous solidarity with the country following the disaster.

The death toll from the Turkey-Syria earthquakes is nearing 44,000.

While Turkish authorities say at least 38,044 people have been killed in the country, the Syrian government says its death toll is over 5,800.

Imam expressed confidence that with the outpouring of international assistance, including from the D-8 member states, normalcy would soon return.

So far, over 75 countries and international organisations have offered aid.

Speaking further, the D-8 secretary-general said the body had made progress, particularly in the civil aviation, industry and SMEs, creative economy, trade and investment, and tourism sectors of different countries.

He added that the progress had been achieved as a result of strengthened engagements with the United Nations (UN) and its specialized bodies, which will be the model of external cooperation with other international organisations.