Islamabad: Pakistan has despatched a civilian cargo ship loaded with 65 containers of relief goods for Turkey and Syria, which were struck by a devastating earthquake on February 6.

The cargo ship, carrying over 1,220 tonnes of relief goods, comprising winterised tents and ration bags, is expected to reach Turkey by March 23-24 and Syria by the end of March, according to National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

Of the 65 containers, 41 are carrying goods for victims in Turkey and 24 containers are for the people of Syria.

“NDMA is spearheading massive relief operations by using all available modes of transportation including air, sea, and road,” the official statement said.

Pakistan’s disaster management authority continues to send aid to the two countries via special chartered cargo flights and regular flights of the national flag carrier PIA.

“NDMA on behalf of the people of Pakistan is constantly engaged to help quake-affected displaced Turkish and Syrian brethren”. It has been a month since the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria but the affected people still require relief goods.

Pakistan was among the first countries to send search and rescue teams and relief goods to the earthquake-hit areas and has been dispatching aid since then. Pakistan’s civilian Rescue 1122 and Pakistan Army’s Urban Search and Rescue played a crucial role in the rescue operations in Turkey working with local and international teams to find survivors under the rubble of destroyed buildings.

More than 52,000 people were killed in southern Turkey and northwestern Syria by the February 6 earthquakes. More than 46,000 people died in the earthquake in Turkey with at least 1.5 million people left homeless while the death toll in Syria is estimated at more than 6,000 people.