Anonymous man gives $30m to earthquake victims

An anonymous Pakistani businessman living in the United States has donated $30m to help victims of the devastating earthquake that has killed thousands of people in Turkey and Syria. The man made the donation at the Turkish embassy in Washington, according to officials.

News of the donation has provided some hope amid the rising death toll and damage caused by the quake. Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, praised the “glorious acts of philanthropy that enable humanity to triumph over the seemingly insurmountable odds”.

The UN world food programme has appealed for $77m to provide rations to at least 590,000 people displaced in Turkey and 284,000 in Syria. So far, over 33,000 people have died following the 7.8-magnitude quake that hit the two countries six days earlier.

The death toll is expected to rise, with rescue crews struggling to find survivors.