RIYADH — Saudi Arabia, represented by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief), launched on Wednesday the popular campaign, through the Sahem electronic platform, to help those affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. This was in implementation of the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. Speaking at the ceremony of launching the campaign at KSRelief headquarters in Riyadh, Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, advisor at the Royal Court and general supervisor of the KSRelief, said that the Saudi humanitarian work is not linked to any political, religious or military agenda. Citing an example for this, he said: “Since its establishment, the KSRelief has worked to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people without linking its assistance to any specific agenda. The relief consignment that the center will dispatch to Syria will cover all the affected areas,” Dr. Al-Rabeeah said while pointing out that he started communicating with all organizations in Syria before the launch of the campaign to render assistance. He said that the volume of donations collected even before the launch of the campaign amounted to more than SR13 million, and this embodies the commitment of the Saudi people and their response to succor the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. Dr. Al-Rabeeah stressed that the donations will be sent through the Sahem application or the unified bank account designated for the campaign, or the multiple donation channels on the center’s website. “The campaign will not receive any donations in cash or kind due to the remoteness of the regions and the cost of air transportation, and the Sahem application is limited to donations within the Kingdom. However, donations can be received from abroad, provided that they pass through well-known official channels that are recognized to ensure the safety of money,” he said. He revealed that an air bridge will be launched in the coming hours to carry donations, whether they are shelter, medicine, or food, and rescue teams will travel to the quake-hit regions to rescue the injured and those affected by the earthquake. “There will be rapid intervention teams, including medical emergency teams and volunteer teams of Saudi cadres who dedicate their time, effort, and experience to alleviate the heavy misfortune that happened to the brothers in Syria and Turkey. The cadres will travel to Turkey and Syria and there will be various specialized medical cadres to participate in a campaign to rescue those affected by the earthquake,” he said. Dr. Al-Rabeeah pointed out that there are teams to assess the situation and determine the needs, and they will be sent to the affected areas. “Accordingly, programs and the method of assistance will be determined for these areas. There are many persons who are trapped under the rubble in these areas, including injured people who are in need of rescue and medical assistance,” he added. On his part, Saad Al-Shathri, a member of the Council of Senior Scholars, said that what happened in Syria and Turkey as a result of the earthquake is a tragic matter that requires the initiative to provide relief to those affected and those in need of relief and assistance. He also stressed the need to donate and provide assistance by participating in such campaigns. Donations to the campaign can be made via the “Sahem” platform on the following link: sahem.ksrelief.org/SYTR. Donors can also send their transfers directly through the campaign’s bank account (SA7780000500608018777776). People can download the Sahem app on mobile devices via Apple Store and Google Play.