President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih announced on Friday that the government of the Maldives would donate Türkiye and Syria with in-kind assistance of one million cans of tuna (500,000 to each) to assist in the efforts to provide humanitarian and relief aid to those displaced by the devastating earthquakes that struck the region on February 6, 2023.

The death toll from the quakes, which struck early on Monday morning last week, passed 22,000 on Friday across both countries.

That surpasses the more than 17,000 people killed in 1999 when a similarly powerful quake hit Turkey’s more densely populated northwest. At least 18,991 people have been killed in Turkey, according to President Erdogan.

Erdogan also has admitted Turkey’s initial response to the earthquakes was not quick enough, amid mounting domestic criticism.

However, defying the odds, rescue workers are finding people alive in the rubble more than 100 hours after the earthquakes. SofarThe World Bank has promised $1.78bn to Turkey in relief and recovery assistance and calling for international help, UN chief Antonio Guterres has announced a donor conference next week.