PM al-Sudani raises alertness level, dispatches rescuers and medical personnel to Turkey, Syria

Shafaq News/Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani on Monday raised the alertness level and decided to send medical staff and relief supplies to the earthquake-ravaged Turkey and Syria.

The death toll from Monday's earthquake has risen to 1,900 across the two neighboring countries.

Turkey's emergency services said at least 1,121 people died in the 7.8-magnitude earthquake, which toppled buildings across central and southern Turkey. Another 783 confirmed fatalities have been recorded in Syria, putting the combined toll at 1,904.

According to a statement by his bureau, al-Sudani expressed "deep solace and solidarity" with the victims that also struck areas in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

The statement said the premier authorized "emergency dispatch of civil defense and first aid teams, shelter and relief supplies, food, and fuel to provide aid for the victims."

Al-Sudani, according to the statement, also raised the "level of alertness and quick response" to natural disasters.

Offers of aid have poured in from across the world, including from the US, UAE, the EU, China, and Israel - which said it had received a request for help from its enemy Syria.