ISTANBUL — ISTANBUL (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken took a helicopter tour Sunday of one of many provinces worst-affected by the Feb. 6 earthquake in southern Turkey and northern Syria and pledged an additional $100 million in help to assist the area.

“That is going to be a long-term effort,” Blinken mentioned at Incirlik Air Base, a joint U.S.-Turkish facility that has coordinated the distribution of catastrophe help. “The search and rescue, sadly, is coming to an finish. The restoration is on, after which there can be a large rebuilding operation.”

President Joe Biden introduced $85 million for Turkey and Syria days after the earthquake that has killed greater than 44,000 folks within the two nations. The U.S. has additionally despatched a search and rescue staff, medical provides and tools.

The extra help contains $50 million in emergency refugee and migration funds and $50 million in humanitarian help, Blinken mentioned.

The secretary of state is making his first journey to NATO ally Turkey since he took workplace two years in the past. Blinken arrived at Incirlik Air Base, close to Adana, on Sunday after attending the Munich Safety Convention in Germany.

He toured Turkey’s toured Hatay province from the air with Turkish Overseas Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. He was anticipated to satisfy with U.S. and Turkish service personnel, in addition to Turkish army households affected by the earthquake.

“If you see the extent of the injury, the variety of buildings, the variety of residences, the variety of properties which were destroyed, it will take a large effort to rebuild,” the highest U.S. diplomat mentioned after the helicopter tour.

“An important factor proper now’s to get help to individuals who want it, to get them by means of the winter and to get them again on their toes,” Blinken mentioned as troops close by unloaded packing containers of help… We’ll keep it up till we get the job executed.”

Incirlik, house to the U.S. Air Drive’s thirty ninth Air Base Wing, has been a vital logistics middle for help distribution. Provides from all over the world have been flown into the bottom and despatched by truck and helicopter to these in want, together with in tough to succeed in villages.

Blinken is ready to fly to Ankara, Turkey’s capital, later Sunday for discussions with Turkish officers on Monday, together with an anticipated assembly with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In addition to the results of the earthquake, Blinken is anticipated to debate Sweden and Finland’s efforts to affix NATO, which Turkey has delayed.

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Observe AP’s earthquake protection at https://apnews.com/hub/earthquakes