Richmond residents donate supplies to Syria and Turkey

Members of United2Heal, prepare meals and clothing for the victims of the Earthquake in Syria and Turkey. Photo courtesy of United2Heal

Katie Farthing, Staff Writer

Richmond residents are sending donations to Turkey and Syria after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake with over 60 major aftershocks hit on Feb. 6 and has resulted in over 46,000 deaths, as of Feb. 20, according to ABC News

Another 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and Syria on Monday evening and resulted in at least three deaths and over 300 injuries as of Feb. 20, according to ABC News.  

Cities in southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria were the most impacted, including Aleppo, Kilis, Sanliurfa and Gaziantep, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

United2HEAL, a nonprofit organization that collects medical supplies and sends them to areas in need, is working with the Islamic Center of Virginia, or the ICVA, to collect donations and drive them up to the embassy as well, according to United2HEAL’s Instagram.

The ICVA stated in an email that they are no longer collecting clothing, and instead want tents, and generators. Any monetary funds that are donated will be used to purchase those items. 

“Our efforts were supported by the incredible team at United2Heal,” ICVA stated. “We could not have achieved our goal without their support, and we are grateful for their partnership and aid.” 

Together, the two organizations have donated over $7,000, medical equipment and clothing. They filled a 20-foot U-Haul, which was driven up to the Turkish Embassy and the Diyanet Center to be sent directly to the Turkey-Syrian border, according to the email. 

“We are grateful for the generosity and support of our community, and we look forward to continuing to work together to make a positive difference,” ICVA stated. 

ICVA will be collecting supplies until Feb. 25, according to their Instagram.

Nuran Cicek, a Turkish graphic design student at VCU, stated in an email that those in Turkey and Syria need humanitarian relief. 

“Although I cannot physically help my fellow citizens from far away, I can raise awareness and contribute to the relief efforts by collecting funds for their needs,” Cicek stated. “Hearing news of more people dying each day due to the lack of supply needed feels unbearable.” 

Cicek moved to the U.S. in 2016 for education purposes, but still has family in Turkey, according to Cicek. Her mother first notified her of the earthquake and asked her to check on their relatives in Ankara, Turkey’s capital.

“At first I didn’t know it was this big. After as I was checking the news and social media, I realized that it was bigger and worse than anyone expected it to be,” Cicek said. 

International help is important, not just now, but for Turkey and Syria’s future recovery, according to Cicek.

“It’s not just about now helping them with the search and rescue and giving them food and shelter. It’s also about what’s going to happen next,” Cicek said. “What’s going to happen to kids who lost their schools? They need to rebuild the schools for them, the hospitals.” 

The Turkish government temporarily banned Twitter to prevent citizens from speaking out about the earthquake and the poorly built buildings that collapsed during the quake, according to Cicek. 

“They are not doing a great job right now, so we are relying on non-government organizations and the help from other countries basically,” Cicek said. 

Twitter became accessible again on Feb. 9, after about 12 hours of restriction, according to France24.  

People from all different faith groups are coming together to raise money and awareness for those in Turkey and Syria and pray for them, according to Cicek. 

“We need to keep this coming. The most important thing is we need to keep this constant,” Cicek said. “It’s not going to be one week, two weeks. It’s going to be months of recovery from this devastating event.” 

Many governments have sent medical teams and donated money to areas affected. 

Jane Hutt, the minister for social justice of Wales, has donated £300,000 to provide aid, according to the Welsh government

The UK has sent 77 search and rescue experts, deployed teams of emergency medics, donated supplies and sent $4 million, or 3.8 million euros, to The White Helmets, otherwise known as the Syria Civil Defense, according to the UK government

The U.S. Agency for International Development has pledged $85 million, or 79.8 million euros, to earthquake relief, according to the U.S. Department of State

Hassnae Boutouba, a food service worker in Chesterfield County, was donating blankets and sheets on Saturday at the ICVA. She had plenty of things at home and wanted to help those suffering, according to Boutouba.   

“We feel bad for those people and we pray for them,” Boutouba said. 

For more information from the Turkish Embassy and what supplies are needed, you can visit their website. There are more donations and informational resources in this document

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