Olympic Movement to donate 1 mln USD to Türkiye, Syria

GENEVA, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the European Olympic Committees (EOC) and the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) will donate one million U.S. dollars to the Olympic community affected by the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, the IOC announced on Friday.

"I have spoken to the NOC president of Türkiye and the NOC president of Syria, and have heard from them about the impact the earthquake has had on many members of the Olympic community," IOC president Thomas Bach said in a statement.

"Our first-response emergency assistance in Türkiye will be channeled through the Olympic Refuge Foundation and their partners on site. In Syria, we will work with international NGOs and UN agencies that are able to access the affected areas," Bach added.

The IOC also announced the ORF will use the funds, which were originally planned to support the Sport for Solidarity program, for humanitarian assistance, including food, clothes and blankets.