U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday praised the support provided by Americans following the devastating Feb. 6 earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria.

In a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara, Blinken said the U.S. government had responded “within hours” to the disaster and had so far sent hundreds of personnel and relief supplies.

But he said that ordinary Americans had also responded to “heartbreaking” images from the quake zone, where nearly 45,000 people have died.

“We have nearly $80 million in donations from the private sector in the United States, (from) individuals. When I visited the Turkish Embassy in Washington, I almost couldn’t get in the front door because boxes were piled high throughout the driveway to the embassy,” Blinken said.

“Turkey faces a long road ahead to support those rendered homeless and to rebuild … and we’re committed to providing support.”

Source: National News Agency