QUEZON CITY (PIA) -- The Philippine government will send humanitarian assistance and mobilize teams to assist affected people in Syria who also are severely affected by the February 6 earthquake.

Apart from helping Turkey, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said the government is also stepping up efforts to help Syria.

“I’m trying to find a way kasi hindi lang naman Turkey and tinamaan. Syria pati. At alam naman natin ang kalagayan sa Syria, hindi napakaganda, that’s why I’m hoping to be able to do something to help them also,” President Marcos said.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southeast Turkey near the Syrian border with a depth of 11 miles (17.9 km) near Nurdağı in Gaziantep province.

The cities of Nurdağı and Gaziantep in Gaziantep Province are home to millions of Syrian refugees who are affected by the never-ending civil war.

Meanwhile, the cities of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama, and Idlib in Syria were also badly hit, with buildings damaged and collapsed. Aleppo was among the most affected areas where people already relied on humanitarian aid due to the ongoing conflict.

As of February 10, the World Health Organization in Syria reported 10.1 million people affected by the quake with 2.1 million estimated to be displaced and 4.1 million needing immediate assistance.

The Philippine contingent is already in Turkey to help in ongoing rescue and retrieval operations as well as deliver necessary humanitarian assistance. (KSAA – PIA CPSD)