Today two C-130 Hercules of the Italian Air Force took off for Beirut, loaded with aid destined for the Syrian population, victims of the earthquake that struck the north of the country.
“In the face of a tragedy of this magnitude, we cannot turn our backs. Humanity must not stop at the borders of States, it is necessary to go beyond limits and sanctions to safeguard human life. I have heard the cry of pain and I have ordered the deployment of two Air Force planes that will take humanitarian aid to Lebanon, where the Red Crescent is already prepared to transport it to Syria,” said Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, expressing his willingness to concretely help the Syrian victims of the earthquake.
#Terremoto Aggiornamento: decollato 1° di 2 velivoli C130 #AeronauticaMilitare con aiuti a popolazione siriana.
"L'umanità di fronte a simili tragedie non si deve fermare a confini Stati" così Min @GuidoCrosetto. Prosegue impegno #Difesa per aiutare popolazioni #Turchia e #Siria pic.twitter.com/GgxRXWHppL— Ministero Difesa (@MinisteroDifesa) February 11, 2023
The activities, carried out in close coordination with the Civil Protection Department, saw two Air Force C-130J aircraft take off within an hour of each other from Pisa airport carrying four ambulances and four doctors, from the San Donato Hospital Institute in the Piedmont Region, medicines and other materials destined for the Syrian population.
See also: Greece to buy six second-hand C-130J Super Hercules from Italy
Defense personnel (Army, Navy, Air Force and Carabinieri) are currently contributing with various activities to the relief operations for the populations of Turkey and Syria, victims of the same 7.8 magnitude earthquake.
Italy has already sent several aids to Turkey. Yesterday, the Navy ship San Marco sailed from the port of Brindisi for Alexandretta with a field hospital on board, made available by the Department of Civil Protection of the Piedmont Region, and other goods also collected through donations from individuals and associations.
From the first hours after the earthquake, all Italian military means were made available to assist in the rescue and damage mitigation work for the affected civilian population. In the last few days, a Piaggio P-180 and two C-130 aircraft of the Aeronautica Militare (Air Force) have taken off with medicines, medical equipment and rescue teams on board, which are currently involved in rescue operations.
