We have all been horrified by the heartbreaking scenes this week following the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria. More than 36,000 people have died; more than 78,000 have been injured; and many more remain trapped beneath the rubble. Furthermore, five million people have been displaced from their homes. It is a humanitarian crisis on a massive scale.
ArcelorMittal wants to contribute to the relief efforts. First and foremost, we are doing so for humanitarian reasons – it is the right thing to do. Also, ArcelorMittal has a business presence in Turkey: ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products has three joint ventures: Borçelik (an automotive-focussed business that has three SSCs under the brand name “Kerim Celik” – one of which is in the earthquake zone); ArcelorMittal RZK Çelik (which has a factory in the earthquake-hit town of Osmaniye) and Bamesa (which has two steel service centers). We also have a small AMDS and Long Products sales office in Istanbul. And there are thousands of ArcelorMittal employees around the world, who have family connections with Turkey.
Since last Monday, our colleagues in all three joint ventures have been working around the clock to support the earthquake victims. The list of what they have achieved is impressive, and we cannot list them all, but we must give special mention to the Borçelik Search and Rescue Team, BAKUT, a team of 18 specially trained people who as of Friday, had rescued seven people – and also a cat – from the rubble. The team at RZK Çelik have provided shelter to employees and their families, at the factory in Osmaniye, caring for hundreds of people. And obviously, there are many people behind the scenes, leading and coordinating efforts to make the most of our presence and resources in Turkey.
In response to the overwhelming need for help at this time, we are pleased to be able to tell you that ArcelorMittal will be donating US$5 million to provide emergency support to those impacted by this terrible tragedy, in both Turkey and Syria. The first US$2.5m is already been committed to the DEC (The Disasters Emergency Committee, UK).
