Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese issues an urgent statement to all citizens and residents regarding the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria

This morning, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese issued an urgent statement to all citizens and residents regarding the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his New Zealand counterpart, Chris Hepkins, announced $11 million in aid to Turkey and Syria in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, CNN reported.

The two leaders pledged a total of 11.5 million US dollars to help the victims of the devastating earthquake.

During a joint press conference in Canberra on Tuesday, Albanese said the country will provide initial humanitarian aid worth 10 million US dollars through the Red Cross, Red Crescent and humanitarian agencies.

“Australia’s assistance will target those who need it most,” he added.

Meanwhile, Hipkins, who is on his first state visit to Australia, said Wellington will contribute US$1.5 million, CNN reported.

“The humanitarian contribution will support teams from the Turkish Red Crescent and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to deliver essential relief items such as food supplies, tents and blankets, and provide life-saving medical assistance and psychological support,” New Zealand’s Foreign Minister, Nana Mahuta, said in a statement.

CNN reported that more than 5,000 people were killed and thousands injured after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and Syria early Monday morning.

Turkey’s death toll rose to 2,921 as of Tuesday morning, according to Yunus Sezer, the head of Turkey’s disaster services.

A total of 15,834 infections have been reported, Sezer told a news conference in Ankara.

Caesar said it will provide a more comprehensive update at 6 a.m. local time (10 p.m. ET).

In Syria, 1,451 deaths and 3,531 injuries were reported by officials.

Thousands of buildings have collapsed in both countries, and aid agencies are particularly concerned about northwest Syria, where more than 4 million people were already dependent on humanitarian aid.

The US Geological Survey said the quake, one of the most powerful to hit the region in more than 100 years, occurred 23 kilometers (14.2 miles) east of Nordachi in Turkey’s Gaziantep province, at a depth of 24.1 kilometers (14.9 miles).

At least 100 aftershocks of magnitude 4.0 or greater have occurred since the 7.8-magnitude quake hit southern Turkey Monday morning local time, according to the US Geological Survey. As time stretches from the original earthquake, the frequency and magnitude of aftershocks tend to decrease.

However, aftershocks of magnitude 5.0 to 6.0 and above are still possible, creating additional damage risks to structures that were compromised from the original earthquake. This brings a constant threat to rescue teams and survivors.

The aftershocks extend more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) along the fault zone that erupted in southern Turkey, moving southwest to northeast and extending from the border with Syria through Malatya province.

Millions of people in northwestern Syria – mostly women and children – were already in “desperate need” of humanitarian aid before the disaster, according to the United Nations, amid a harsh winter and an outbreak of cholera.

Turkey has taken in about 3.5 million Syrian refugees in recent years, according to the United Nations refugee agency, many of them in places now devastated by the earthquake, the Washington Post reported.