Homeless in Turkey: here’s how you can help quake victims

The Turkish ambassador calls for people to donate warm clothes, blankets and medicines, not cash, to help out the victims

News Deskbdnews24.com
Published : 9 Feb 2023, 03:08 PM
Updated : 9 Feb 2023, 03:08 PM

The Turkish Embassy in Dhaka has called for support from the people of Bangladesh in the form of necessities for the homeless as casualties continue mounting after the earthquakes.

Speaking at a briefing at the embassy, Turkish Ambassador Mustafa Osman Turan mentioned 12,391 fatalities, 62,914 injuries and 6,440 collapsed buildings as of 3 am on Thursday.

Following the catastrophic magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes on Feb 6, he said, the tremors and aftershocks were felt as far as the United Kingdom.

The ongoing search and rescue operations are unearthing people trapped under the rubble, dead or alive, as the death toll on Thursday passed 17,000 in Turkey and Syria.

Bangladesh sent a team of 61 medical experts and rescuers to Turkey, joining humanitarian efforts to help hundreds of thousands of people left homeless by the earthquakes.

“There are people still trapped under the rubbles, but the numbers are still uncertain. Many countries around the world have responded with search and rescue teams, not only governments but also civil society, businesses, and individuals,” Turan said.

He appreciated Bangladesh’s quick response to the calamity and the condolence messages from the president, prime minister, speaker of the parliament and minister of foreign affairs.

Bangladeshis were extending their love and support to their Turkish friends, and the act of generosity touched him, the ambassador said.

Turkey encouraged assistance other than cash support to the TIKA campaign, Turkish Coordination and Cooperation Agency, Turan said.

A TIKA programme coordinator based in Bangladesh shared possible ways to donate in a statement.

Amid a chilly winter in the region, TIKA called for the donation of warm clothes, blankets, food and medicine. The embassy shared the preferred categories of donation items on its social media accounts.

Turkish Airlines offered to fly the relief to Turkey free of charge, and the Bangladesh government would assist with the customs requirements to ensure swift delivery of humanitarian aid.

The Turkish government also offered to facilitate visa procedures for journalists by accrediting visas on arrival upon applying online to the embassy.

Turkey also encouraged skilled rescue workers to come forward to participate in the search operations during this difficult time.

“The Turkish government declared a week-long national mourning and a three-month state of emergency in the affected provinces in the southeast region.”

Bangladesh showed solidarity by observing a day of mourning on Thursday for the thousands of lives lost to the disasters in Turkey and Syria.

“We will never forget this act of solidarity. Very few countries have done this.”