I want to convey my sorrow for the victims and their families affected by this tragic occurrence on behalf of the whole Food for Life Global team.

And may you experience the love and support of our planet in the days, weeks, and months to come for everyone whose lives have been torn apart on this day.

Paul Rodney Turner

A series of earthquakes have left tens of thousands of people dead in Southern Turkey and Northwest Syria. On February 6th 2 major earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.8 and 7.6 as well as thousands of violent aftershocks left the region devastated.

Earthquake in Turkey and Syria

Turkey, formerly known as Turkey, suffered from 2 major earthquakes on February 6th which affected its neighboring country Syria as well. On the early morning of February 6th, around 4 am, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 hit the Kahramanmaras province of Turkey. Kahramanmaras is located in the southeast parts of Turkey, the earthquake affected northern Syria, leaving many collapsed buildings behind.

10 cities were fatally affected in Turkey while more than 15 cities reported have felt the ground shake for more than a minute. More than 6 thousand buildings are reported to be collapsed after the second earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.6, which happened only 9 hours after the first shock. In between these two significant earthquakes, residents in the area have reported more than 1700 aftershocks some of which with a magnitude of 6.5.

Search and rescue teams are working to save more civilians from the collapsed buildings while rescued people are struggling to survive in the horrible weather conditions.

As of February 12th, at least 29,605 people have died and at least 80,278 have been injured throughout 10 provinces in Turkey.

Turkey

With 10 fatally affected provinces, Turkish authorities have reported having over 11.000 collapsed buildings, over 17.000 casualties as of February 10th, and more than 72.000 injured. The series of violent earthquakes have affected at least 13.5 million people and 4 million buildings. According to WHO’s estimation, the death toll could be 8 times higher in the following days.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared a State of Emergency in the nation as well as a “level four alert” to appeal to international aid. International aid efforts have been successful in Turkey and more than 45 countries have sent relief efforts and search and rescue teams.

While rescue efforts continue those who survived the disaster are now left homeless and are struggling with harsh weather conditions.

Syria

In Syria, there have been at least 5,273 fatalities and 7,285 injuries. Over 2,063 earthquake-related fatalities and 2,950 injuries were reported by the Syrian Department of Health in territories controlled by the government, the majority of which were in the regions of Aleppo and Latakia. According to the International Rescue Committee’s reports, the earthquake struck rebel-held regions already struggling with a cholera outbreak when the earthquake left many homeless and dead.

According to official reports at least 5 cities were fatally affected in northern Syria due to the “Biggest Earthquake in Syrian History”. Sanctions placed in response to the Syrian Civil War have aggravated the plight of ordinary Syrians by preventing foreign governments and organizations from providing direct help.

Help the Citizens of Turkey and Syria

Government representatives from 45 different nations are coordinating relief operations to aid in the hunt for survivors, deliver aid to tens of thousands of injured people, and shelter to those who are homeless.

A crew from Food for Life Global in London is sending assistance by sending plant-based meals to families affected by the catastrophe.

Contributions to our Emergency Fund enable us to respond in this way. To continue supporting these initiatives for earthquake victims, contributions are being welcomed.

How can you help the earthquake victims?

There are three different ways you may now assist the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria.

Contribute to the Food for Life Global Emergency Fund – Food for Life Global is working to muster a unit for emergency food distribution in the affected areas for the quake victims.

With your generous donations, we can act quickly in our relief assistance and provide healthy food to affected families in the area.

Donate Blood

With many victims being treated in hospitals right now, donating blood is extremely important. Tens of thousands of people are in dire need of blood and if you are able to donate blood to those in Turkey and Syria, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the local authorities.

Raise Awareness

Even if you can’t donate funds and are too far from Turkey to donate blood, you can still raise awareness to help them. Use your social media accounts to spread the word about reputable humanitarian organizations like FFLG. By sharing, you’ll ensure that others who may have the means have the opportunity to give to relief efforts.