Türkiye & Syria Earthquake Response

 Akut Arama Kurtarma Istanbul: Urban Search and Rescue missions (local and internationally), public seminars to raise awareness and build a more disaster resilient community, fund-raiser activities like “face to face”, SMS campaigns; University AKUT Student Clubs.

Haytap – Turkish Animal Rights Federation: Despite the difficult weather conditions and the hazard of being stuck on the roads, our vehicles are arriving on the scene in Hatay-Antakya, bringing volunteers with them. To assist the government effort in rescuing those trapped under debris, our team of volunteers is undergoing search an rescue efforts for trapped animals and people, and is answering calls from individuals trying to rescue their trapped animals from all these cities.

Molham Volunteering Team: The people in Turkey and NW Syria witnessed a tough night like no other as a 7.5 strong earthquake hit the region. It resulted in tens of victims, and hundreds of injured and people who are trapped under the destruction. Not that only, but the Syrian Civil Defense announced the northern Syria region as a Disaster-Stricken Region. Thus, the displaced families in Turkey and Syria are in dire need of help, we will do all we can to compensate them for what they’ve been through and provide them with accommodation. We’re launching “Earthquake Response” Campaign that aims to lessen their suffering and provide them with the necessities they lack.

Red Crescent Turkey (Turkish Red Cross): Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) teams took action immediately after the earthquake. Disaster expert teams from Adana Disaster Response Center, Ankara Disaster Response Center, Düzce Disaster Response Center, İzmir Disaster Response Center, Elazig Disaster Response Center, Erzurum Disaster Response Center, Kırklareli Disaster Response Center, Muş Disaster Response Center and from 13 branches were deployed to the area under the coordination of the Kızılay Disaster Coordination Center. Kızılay teams are on their way to support the work in the disaster area in the fields of nutrition, psychosocial support, blanket distribution, and blood services. Sending catering trucks to the region, Turkish Red Crescent mobilizes its resources for the distribution of soup and treats to the citizens who had to spend the night outside. Additionally, Kızılay search and rescue teams have been directed to the region. Kızılay’s psychosocial support teams have also been mobilized to reach the region in order to support those affected by the earthquake. Moreover, Kızılay has dispatched its blood stocks to the region for the possible need for blood and plasma. Kızılay contributed to the work in the region with its 629 professional and 1.402 volunteer teams. Kızılay deployed 77 branch catering trucks, 30 emergency response vehicles, 38 vehicle, 9 pickup, 16 mobil kitchen, 2 mobil oven, 4 delivery vehicle, 2 communication vehicles, 3 mobile catering vehicles, 1 search and rescue vehicle, 1 container kitchen, 1 logistics vehicle, 1 mobile soup kitchen, 1 bus, 1 panel van, 1 mobile kitchen van, 2 van and 2 truck in total 181 vehicles to the region. Kızılay delivered 28,654 blankets, 2.006 tents, 7 field kitchen and 48 foam mattresses to the region. Kızılay distributed 155,428 nutrition, 371,183 catering supplies and 27,956 lt of water.

Temel Ihtiyac Dernegi (TIDER – Basic Needs Association): Basic Needs Association (TIDER) is a non profit organization which brings a broad perspective to food-banking by providing concrete solutions that fights against poverty and waste with the holistic model. TIDER works with members of the families who live in poverty, who wants to find jobs or establish their own business, supporting them with its original model has been awarded by Global Food Banking Network in 2017. TIDER with awareness that needs of the people who live in poverty are not limited with the products that are provided by the foodbanks, act with the responsibility to expand the area of benefit of foodbanks and spread the model throughout Turkey. Our objective is to reduce food waste and poverty in Turkey by using foodbanking as an integrated solution for these two problems. In the World 1/3 of the food production is wasted every year. It equals to 1,3 billion tons and it spreads 3.3. billion carbon dioxide. In Turkey, the foods are wasted at most are vegetables, fruits and bread. Reducing the food waste will help to protect the environment while reducing poverty.

As TIDER, we are in contact with our food banks in earthquake zones. Our preparations for the supply and shipment of the products that may be needed are still continuing. You can contact us to give support.

Toplum Gonulluleri Vakfi: We organizing the mobilization of volunteers from all over Turkey on behalf of the Disaster Coordination Community, and have received around 16,000 volunteer application so far. Donations will go towards the mobilizing and supplying the volunteers in their work to assist affected communities.

Turk Egitim Vakfi: We would like to state that upon requests for information and assistance from our donors, we are in contact with the relevant organizations for all kinds of support and coordination. We closely follow our scholars who were affected by the earthquake and support them financially and morally. We would like to inform you, our esteemed donors, that we will do our part after this sad earthquake, that our disaster scholarship fund, which has been active for many years, can already accept donations, and that there will be hope for students with a sustainable planning, and thank you for your valuable support and interest.

Turkiye Korunmaya Muhtac Cocuklar Vakfi: The Koruncuk Foundation supports girls from disadvantaged areas to continue their education in the Koruncuk villages it operates. For this purpose, we provide girls with living space, basic shelter needs, educational tools such as stationery and books, additional lessons and training opportunities. In addition, our Foundation provides security, health, self-care and psychosocial support services for children living in Koruncukköy. All donations to our foundation are spent to meet these needs. In the new period, family support services will also be provided for children who want to continue their education with their families instead of living in Koruncukköy. In this context, we will provide families with economic support in cash and in kind, as well as social service consultancy services, in order to prevent the interruption of children’s education. In 2023, we aim to provide services especially to girls in the earthquake zone.

Flexport.org Fund: Because the only aid that matters is the aid that arrives, Flexport.org is currently organizing shipments of requested and needed humanitarian supplies with our NGO partners to help improve the lives of people impacted by the earthquakes in Turkey.

International Medical Corps: After contacting staff members to confirm that they and their family members are safe, International Medical Corps began coordinating closely with our local teams and partners, assessing the situation across the region and is mobilizing its response. Our team in Syria has already deployed to communities, bringing medical and mental health services, as well as vital supplies—such as blankets, clean water, hand sanitizers and sanitary pads—to women, children and men affected by the quakes, while our Emergency Response Team has deployed to Turkey and is working through partners there. We also are in discussion with the World Health Organization regarding a potential deployment of our Emergency Medical Team.

Mercy Corps: Mercy Corps is on the ground in Northwest Syria working to deliver essential supplies to communities affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit the region earlier today. Over 2,100 people are now confirmed dead, including nearly 1,000 in Syria. Many people are believed to be trapped beneath the rubble, leading to fears that the death toll will increase. We won’t know the true devastation for some time as search and rescue efforts continue in the coming days. After confirming the safety of team members, our team on the ground in Syria immediately began outreach across the 96 camps in which we currently operate, as well as 136 communities in Idlib and Aleppo. Mercy Corps has been working in Syria since 2008, delivering emergency assistance and addressing longer-term needs both before and during the current crisis.

Associazione Pro Terra Sancta: 1) Purchasing of food baskets for families in Aleppo, Damascus and Latakia. 2) Purchasing of non-food items (blankets and clothes) for families in Aleppo, Damascus and Latakia. Distributing vouchers for heating oil and electricity vouchers. 3) Purchasing of medicines and covering medical bills for families in Aleppo, Damascus and Latakia. We pay directly to the families under the presentation of medical bills or medical prescriptions. Families are selected according to the real need evaluated by the friars and the local staff. Evaluation criteria for selection is: family income, number of family members, number of children or elderly, and if the head of the household is a single woman.

Crucea Rosie Romana: After the February 6, 2023 earthquake in Türkiye and Syria, the Romanian Red Cross set up a relief fund to support the disaster response and victims of the earthquake.

Deutsches Rotes Kreuz e.V. (The German Red Cross): The DRK has been working closely with its sister societies in Turkey and Syria for many years to help people in need. We are currently in close contact with them to determine the situation on the ground and the humanitarian needs and how the DRK can best support to provide urgently needed aid.

Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta: The Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta reached out to its long-time local partners in Syria – aid organizations of the Greek Catholic Melkite Church – and through their joint cooperation around 30-40 people were providing immediate medical assistance, and many dozens of their associates were directly involved in the rescue work searching for survivors at the four hardest hit sites.

1. The mobile medical clinics: The mobile medical clinics first established in Syria by the Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta in 2018 have been promptly relocated to the earthquake-affected regions. In Latakia and Aleppo, a total of four mobile medical clinics and two mobile medical containers, equipped with X-rays, ultrasound equipment and a mini laboratory, were receiving patients in need of care, including minor surgeries. A large number of people have arrived in shock, with traumatic injuries, even some who were injured during the rescue.

2. Soup kitchens and humanitarian hotspots: The Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta established and operated humanitarian hotspots for the displaced, where tents were set up to provide soup kitchen (food, drinks), and also sanitary equipment. It is called humanitarian hotspot where we also plan to continue to support the post-earthquake humanitarian program, which enabled the health care services and the hotspots to operate for a few weeks.

The Hungarian Charity Service of the Order of Malta plans to launch a fundraising campaign to continue the program and help the earthquake-affected regions.

Veterinarians Without Borders (Veterinaires Sans Frontieres): Our response efforts are focusing on immediate food, shelter, medical supplies, in-kind items such as blankets for the pets, transportation for injured animals or those who have lost their owners to Istanbul and Adana, and salaries of the staff working. The majority of people currently supporting the activities on the ground are currently supported by volunteers.