KUALA LUMPUR – The Rohingya community in Malaysia, comprising mostly refugees who fled violence in northern Myanmar, have come together to provide emergency aid to victims of the recent earthquake in Türkiye.
The Myanmar Ethnic Rohingya Human Rights Organisation in Malaysia, or Merhrom, which coordinated the donation drive, handed over the aid amounting to about RM30,000 to the Turkish embassy here yesterday.
Its president Zafar Ahmad Abdul Ghani expressed condolences over the loss of lives following the earthquake which hit both Türkiye and Syria on February 6, leading to over 45,000 deaths.
“We deeply understand the pain and trauma of the earthquake victims and the families
of the victims who lost their loved ones,” he said.
“We pray that Türkiye will recover soon and the survivors will be able to cope with the situation and rebuild their lives.”
On hand to receive the aid was Dr Ömer Altun, director of the Yunus Emre Institute, who accepted the contribution on behalf of Turkish ambassador Emir Salim Yüksel.
Zafar also conveyed gratitude to the people and government of Türkiye for their support and intervention on the Rohingya plight, including through humanitarian aid to Rohingya refugees for many decades.
More than 6,200 aftershocks have been recorded since the 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Turkiye and Syria, leaving millions homeless.
Officials said after the February 6 quake that aftershocks would be felt for a year because of the force of the first tremor.
Experts expect the toll to rise as more rubble is cleared and rescue operations end. – The Vibes, March 1, 2023
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