On Thursday, February 9, officials from the Somali Disaster Management Agency (SODMA) paid a visit to the Turkish Embassy in Mogadishu to express their condolences and support following the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey earlier in the week.
The delegation, led by Commissioner Mahamuud Moallim, included humanitarian affairs ministers from regional states as well as other SODMA officials. The team expressed its support for the Turkish people and government.
Turkey and Syria suffered a series of catastrophic earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.8 on Monday, February 6. Multiple buildings collapsed over a 330-kilometer stretch, resulting in a massive loss of life and thousands trapped under the rubble. Rescue operations are still ongoing, but more than 21,000 people have died so far.
Somali nationals were among those in need of rescue, according to Jama Abdullahi Eydid, Somalia’s ambassador to Turkey.
“We are missing about ten of the 52 students, but we have found others.” “They are safe and communicating with one another,” the ambassador stated.
“We were communicating with the students until yesterday. Although the roads were closed, we were able to send a bus to pick up those people and bring them and their children to Ankara today.” The Somali community in Ankara is raising funds to help them settle,” Eydid elaborated.
According to Yusuf Calasow, a Somali student rescued from the hardest-hit city of Gaziantep, the Somali Embassy in Turkey was crucial in providing them with relief.
“We are now safe; we arrived in Ankara this morning. Since last night, we have been in contact with the Somali embassy in Ankara.” We explained that we were Somali students stranded in the city, and they assisted us in getting here,” Calasow stated.
Calasow also mentioned that impassable roads and miles of wrecked infrastructure were among the most difficult challenges they faced.
Confirming the safe arrival of Somali refugees in Ankara, Eydid described the dire situation they had been in, where they lacked food and water and had to rely on volunteers and the government.“The worst thing for us is the lack of food and the cold; the restaurants are closed, there are no cars, the trains aren’t running, and the only food we’ve gotten has been brought to us by the Turkish government and volunteers. I had been standing in the cold for three days while it snowed,” he explained.
The ambassador concluded by saying that the number of Somali nationals who have kicked the bucket or are still trapped is unknown because there are Somalis in different parts of the country and rescue efforts are still ongoing.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud expressed his condolences to Turkey in the aftermath of the tragic event.“Last night I spoke with my #Türkiye counterpart President @RTErdogan to relay our government and people’s sincere condolences for the devastating earthquake that killed so many of our brothers and sisters in Turkey. We stand in solidarity with Turkey and pray for all the victims.“
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