As of mid-day Monday, official reports confirmed that the series of powerful earthquakes that struck the border area between Turkey and Syria has left 2,349 dead and nearly 11,000 people injured so far.
RELATED:
The Syrian Foreign Affairs Ministry requested help from the United Nations, the Red Cross, and other international organizations to deal with the humanitarian catastrophe.
More specifically, the Syrian authorities requested help with the search for people alive, rescue of people trapped under the rubble, recovery of corpses, and provision of food and health care, shelter and supplies to people affected by the natural disaster.
The international aid should be channeled "in accordance with the standards of humanitarian work" established by the United Nations and "in coordination and cooperation with the Syrian government and its diplomatic missions abroad."
One of the first countries to respond to the Syrian request was Russia. During a telephone conversation with Syrian President Bashar Al Asad, President Vladimir Putin said that his country would send over 300 soldiers to help in the places most affected by the earthquake.
The Kremlin also confirmed that Putin will talk with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to specify aid mechanisms.
From South America, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro expressed his condolences to the families affected by the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria.
"We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Türkiye and Syria, affected by several earthquakes that unfortunately leave human losses, injuries and disappearances. We express our condolences to the families of the victims, to the Turkish and Syrian people," he tweeted.