King Charles has visited a community in Hounslow who have been sending relief parcels to those effected by the devastating earthquakes in Turkey.
The monarch, 74, spoke with volunteers in West London about their efforts to send food, blankets and warm clothing to people whose lives have been turned upside by the natural disaster.
On 7 February, two earthquakes – measuring 7.8 and 7.7 on the Richter scale – hit southern Turkey and northern Syria.
Last night, it was revealed that the death toll has risen to over 37,000 – making it one of the deadliest earthquakes in modern history.
This afternoon, the King paid a visit to Hounslow to meet members of the Turkish community who have been working tirelessly to create relief parcels and send them to Turkey.
King Charles, 73, pictured meeting volunteers in Hounslow who have been working tirelessly to send relief parcels to survivors of the Turkey and Syria earthquakes
As he arrived in Hounslow, King Charles was greeted by the Turkish Ambassador to the UK Umit Yalcin.
After shaking hands, the two men were shown around the makeshift operation by a volunteer.
Underneath a marquee, the community are storing hundreds of cardboard boxes – ready to be filled with resources and shipped out to survivors.
As he progressed around the site, the King spoke with a group of young women who were folding clothes to put in boxes alongside food and towels.
Following on from this, the monarch was handed a cup of Turkish tea, which is made using Camellia sinensis and traditionally served in a tulip-shaped glass.
The monarch was pictured happily speaking with volunteers as he praised their efforts.
Following his visit to the site, the King then paid a visit to the Mangal Kebab restaurant to speak with another volunteer.
Last week, the MailOnline revealed that King Charles and the Queen Consort had made a personal donation to the Turkey and Syria earthquake relief fund alongside the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The King and Turkish ambassador Umit Yalcin pictured being shown around the makeshift operation
King Charles pictured shaking hands with Turkish Ambassador to the UK Umit Yalcin ahead of the tour
The monarch also stopped by Mangal Kebab restaurant in Hounslow to speak with another volunteer.
While speaking with volunteers, the monarch was handed a cup of Turkish tea, which is made using Camellia sinensis and traditionally served in a tulip-shaped glass
The King pictured speaking with volunteers as they package up cardboard boxes full of supplies to be sent to survivors of the earthquakes
The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) separately thanked King Charles III and the Queen Consort for their ‘generous donation’, which they said would help provide medical aid, food, blankets and other urgent help to survivors.
The DEC brings together 15 of the UK’s leading aid charities in emergency situations such as earthquakes, to raise as much money for those affected as possible, quickly and efficiently.
In the hours that followed the earthquake, King Charles expressed his condolences for those impacted by the disaster in a message to Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
He said: ‘My wife and I have been most shocked and profoundly saddened by the news of the devastating earthquakes in South East Türkiye.
A boy and her mother are rescued by German (yellow) and British (orange) rescue teams after an 8 hour operation in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, on February 9
Pictured: Rescue workers search for survivor on a collapsed building in Adiyaman, southeastern Turkey, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023
‘I can only begin to imagine the scale of suffering and loss as a result of these dreadful tragedies and I particularly wanted to convey our deepest and most heartfelt sympathy to the families of all those who have lost their loved ones.
‘Our thoughts and special prayers are with everyone who has been affected by this appalling natural disaster, whether through injury or the destruction of their property, and also with the emergency services and those assisting in the rescue efforts.’
In a tweet signed from William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales said: ‘We have been horrified to see the harrowing images coming out of Turkey and Syria in the aftermath of the earthquakes this week.
‘Our thoughts are with the communities affected and we are pleased to support the DEC campaign which will aid the response on the ground.’
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