Solidarity and action: Director-General of the International Organization for Migration pleads for “long haul” visits to the earthquake zone

HATAY – The international community must step up its efforts to ensure aid continues to reach the millions of people affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria last month, according to the Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) while in the affected areas.

“In the ruins of the historic city of Antakya, I met today proud and courageous people whose past has been wiped out, whose present is full of suffering and whose future is uncertain,” said Antonio Vitorino, after his two-day visit to Turkey. It included meetings with Vice President Fuat Oktay, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu. “I am in awe of my IOM colleagues and many of our partners who began responding within hours of the earthquake, even though they were affected themselves. But now comes the long run. Solidarity and work with Turkey as it rebuilds and creates a new future for the millions whose lives were torn apart,” Vitorino added.

These people are heroes in the humanitarian field. We will never forget their sacrifices, and one of the reasons I am here is to pay my respects and condolences to them, especially to the families of the three IOM staff who perished. Our teams overcame complex coordination and logistics issues, as well as personal tragedies, to quickly get aid to affected communities in Turkey and northwest Syria.”

Three days after the disaster, the International Organization for Migration was one of the first UN agencies to resume cross-border assistance, Mr. Vitorino noted, while visiting a logistics hub near the border, which has been vital to the response as a transit point for thousands of tonnes of aid. They are brought to northwest Syria. So far in response, the International Organization for Migration has sent more than 150 aid trucks across the border.

Mr. Vitorino also met the Head of Turkey’s Immigration Department at a government-run temporary accommodation center that provides shelter to people affected by the disaster, including the local community, migrants and Syrians under temporary protection. In a discussion with the general manager, Nawfal Malish, a Syrian national now living at the center, said:

We used to live in Hatay where we had everything, but now we have lost everything. I used to work in a shop, but the earthquake destroyed it, just like my house, but now we are going to start a new life. We find this displacement more difficult than the first displacement when we had to leave Syria because of the war.”

On Friday, in the capital, Ankara, Mr. Vitorino met Yunus Sezer, head of the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency Coordination Center, a government agency leading the earthquake response.

“I have been deeply impressed by the Turkish government’s emergency response in the face of an unimaginable catastrophe, and I am even more proud of the strong relationship IOM has with this country since we first opened our local office over 30 years ago. We continue to lend our practical capacity and experience to the government to support them moving forward. On the road to recovery.”

While in Ankara, the Director-General held a briefing with Ambassadors representing the international community detailing the latest information on the impacts of the earthquakes, along with IOM’s response and its ability to reach more people in need, should appropriate funding be secured.

The International Organization for Migration’s appeal for US$161 million to support response efforts in Turkey and northwest Syria is currently less than 30 percent funded. Given the need for urgent funding, IOM will continue to advocate for the international community to support its vital response which has already included the dispatch of over 1 million emergency aid items to Turkey in a period of just over one month.

Download videos and photos from the General Manager’s visit to Hatay here.

For more information, please contact:

In Turkey: Olivia Headon, [email protected]

In Vienna: Jo Lowry, [email protected]

In Geneva: Juliana Quintero, [email protected], Lana Walsh, [email protected]

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos