MOFA: conditions of Iraqi community in Gaziantep are being followed up

INA-  Baghdad


 
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Al-Sahaf confirmed on Sunday that the Iraqi consulate in the Turkish city of Gaziantep is following up on the conditions of the Iraqi community to provide assistance.
 
Al-Sahaf told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that "the Iraqi consulate in Gaziantep has allocated since the early hours of the earthquake an emergency number for 24 hours to receive reports from the Iraqi community until now," pointing to "communication on the mission's website, and it has received many reports and processed them as soon as possible."
 
He added, "The consulate received approximately 100 Iraqi citizens who do not have a passport, as the mission issued a number of laissez-passer to help the members of the community to travel and according to their desire to Iraq," noting that "the mission followed up actively with the center of the ministry and the concerned authorities to send food aid of all kinds, as well as cadres from the Iraqi Civil Defense specialized in rescue work and on behalf of the Government of Iraq."

He continued, "The Iraqi government has already sent a military plane carrying humanitarian aid and specialized teams for excavation work and the removal of those stuck from the rubble," stressing, "According to the latest statistics, the Iraqi Civil Defense has taken out 15 people alive in addition to the bodies of the victims, as well as the delivery of relief materials to the Turkish side, represented by the Disaster Management Authority and the Turkish Red Cross only, and according to the request of the Turkish side and its approval to receive relief materials."

He pointed out that "the mission took the initiative to transfer 150 Iraqi citizens to Baghdad who wish to return voluntarily and who have passports or laissez-passer passports on board the Iraqi aid plane over the past days," noting that "the mission initiated inspection tours for the members of the Iraqi community by the Deputy Consul General and the mission's staff in the state of Adana and follow up on their affairs along with the efforts of our embassy in Ankara to identify their necessary needs."

Al-Sahaf stressed that "the mission initiated an inspection tour in the state of Mersin and see the conditions of the Iraqi community and visit the shelter center in Mustakbel ninova international schools," pointing out that "the consulate took the initiative to prepare to visit the state of Şanlıurfa and inspect the conditions of the Iraqi community."

He explained that "despite the difficulty of living in the state of Gaziantep and the interruption of basic services such as gas needed for heating, cooking, drinking water, washing and the lack of food, the consulate is still working in front of its building and in the open air until its safety is examined and the possibility of its use by employees and the Iraqi community is confirmed."