Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal

SASE grieves the tremendous losses caused by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, and sends its condolences to our colleagues and their loved ones most directly affected by this tragedy. Please find links to aid those in need, following a summary of the current state of affairs, below.

Turkey and Syria were recently struck by two major earthquakes (7.6 and 7.8) within hours of each other, followed by many aftershocks. The earthquakes affected a massive area comparable to the size of Austria and inhabited by approximately 13 million inhabitants. So far, a week after the earthquake, more than 36 thousand have lost their lives and thousands more are still stuck under the rubble. Thousands of buildings have collapsed or been damaged, and hundreds of thousands of people are now homeless. This is all happening in dire winter conditions below 0º Celcius, in snow and rain. The access to hygiene and clean water is limited, roads are destroyed. It is a major disaster, mentioned as the “worst event” to hit the region in a century by the UN’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths. This area had also become home to millions of Syrian refugees, who came to Turkey seeking a safe place, and who have now lost their homes a second time and need to relocate again.

Aid has been going to the region from both national and international institutions; however, the situation is extremely difficult and more help is needed. We have identified the following organizations based in Turkey, the UK, and the US to donate. Please consider donating. As little as €10/$10/£10 can help to buy about 130 bottles of drinking water.

Ahbap is a reliable and completely grassroots Turkish organisation, to which you can donate here. Choose Love is a UK organisation which has been helping refugees and started an appeal for the earthquakes. They send direct help to both Turkey and Syria, and you can provide aid through them here. The UK government also announced that they are matching funds up to £5m made to the UK charities via the DEC appeal. Bridge to Turkey Fund is a US organization directing funds to Turkey, to which you can donate here. Other international aid organizations that are providing support include the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Oxfam, and UNICEF.

Thanks to SASE member Prof. Merve Sancak for the above summary and for sharing these links.