Blinken Promises Additional $50M In Aid for Turkey's Earthquake Relief: 'United States Is Here'

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken promised another $50 million in aid to earthquake-hit Turkey on Sunday. 

What Happened: Blinken, who is in Turkey for an official visit, said the President Joe Biden-led administration would provide longer-term help to Ankara as it seeks to rebuild following the earthquake that killed more than 45,000 people and left a million-plus homeless.

Blinken said President Biden intends to authorize another $50 million in Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Funds in response to the earthquake. 

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The U.S. Secretary of State also took a helicopter ride with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu after arriving at Incirlik Air Force Base. The two leaders observed the devastation caused by the earthquake in one of the hardest hit regions — the southern Hatay province.

“It’s really hard to put into words. You see buildings still standing and then buildings collapsed, roofs destroyed and right next to it, something that’s still standing,” Blinken told the media.

“When you see the extent of the damage, the number of buildings, the number of apartments, the number of homes that have been destroyed, it is going to take a massive effort to rebuild but we are committed to supporting Turkey in that effort,” he said.

“The most important thing right now is getting assistance to people…simply put, the United States is here.”

Since the earthquake, Washington has sent a search and rescue team along with medical aid, concrete supplies to Turkey and additional funding of $85 million in humanitarian aid that covers Syria.

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