Ambassador Hasan Murat Mercan;
Dr. Arshad Rehan, President APPNA;
Dr. Rashid Hanif, Chair APPNA Social Welfare and Disaster Relief Committee;
Dr. Aftab Khan.
First of all I want to thank APPNA and its leadership for hosting this telethon for raising humanitarian assistance for earthquake response in Turkiye. The Association of Physicians of Pakistani descent of North America (APPNA) has always been proactive on humanitarian front and, once again, it has risen to the occasion to help our brothers and sisters in Turkiye.
We are grateful to you for mobilizing support for Pakistan recently as we faced the consequences of devastating biblical floods last year. Your help saved many lives and provided sustenance to the victims.
Our hearts go out to the people and government of Turkiye who were hit by one of the deadliest earthquakes in the past one hundred years and one of the biggest natural disasters of our times. The severity and lethality of the earthquake has only been partially depicted by the international media as people live with the perilous consequences of multiple disasters within the mega-disaster since February 6. More than 40,000 have been killed and several thousand have been buried under the rubble with no hope of survival. Countless have been injured.
When Turkiye was hit by the earthquake, we felt Pakistan was hit. The nation of Pakistan holds Turkiye as dear as its own homeland. We will always remember the massive support given by Turkiye to Pakistan during the 2005 earthquake and the 2010 and 2022 floods.
Today, we pay tribute to the people and government of Turkiye for their courage, resilience and resourcefulness in facing this catastrophe. On this occasion, we convey our condolences to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ambassador Hasan Murat Mercan and the entire nation of Turkiye. We feel acute pain for those who have lost their lives, the bereaved families and those who could not survive. It’s a tragedy for all humanity.
Pakistan responded immediately and speedily to this emergency. The Prime Minister of Pakistan visited Turkiye recently to convey the solidarity of the people of Pakistan with Turkish brothers and sisters. We have sent several aircraft sorties and truckloads carrying relief materials. Search and rescue teams and medical squads are there on ground who have been able to recover some of the victims alive from the rubble. Some of the rescue operations have been miraculous in which, for instance, a seventeen year old girl and a woman in her twenties were saved a few days ago.
The focus has been on rescue, shelter, protection, food security, water and emergency healthcare. That’s why we have supplied winterized tents, blankets, quilts and dried food for victims fighting for survival in freezing temperatures. Pakistan’s relief efforts are being carried out in collaboration with Turkish disaster relief organizations.
We hope that our contribution will make some difference. But we all know that challenge is too big. In the next three months, more than 5 million people need immediate humanitarian relief. We fully support the appeal of the UN Secretary General for at least $1 billion to give relief in the early recovery stage. We agree with him that there is no time to lose to provide funds for the victims. We need to urgently scale up assistance for the Turkish people.
It is in that context this telethon by APPNA is so timely. Every dollar sent and every relief item provided will save lives. Already many Pakistani-American philanthropic organizations have started collecting funds for our Turkish brothers and sisters.
Pakistani-American doctors have served humanity here in the United States, in Pakistan and now they will save lives in Turkiye.
The time is of the essence.
I appeal to you to donate generously for our brothers and sisters in Turkiye in this difficult hour. Their suffering is our suffering, their agony is our agony. We respect APPNA’s humanitarian impulse and its enormous empathy with the people of Turkiye.
I thank you.
Washington D.C. February 19, 2023.
