We are shocked by the truly appalling disaster in Turkey and Syria.
Over 33,000 people are now known to have lost their lives in the Earthquake, and the number is still increasing rapidly. Relief efforts have been severely disrupted in both countries, with no humanitarian aid reaching north-western Syria at all until late last week due to the civil war.
One way we can all help is to contribute towards the relief efforts. Giving money can feel like a drop in the ocean against the backdrop of a crisis of such scale; but, in the right hands, these drops can form together and make a difference. As such, we are sharing the details of several regional charities on both the Turkish and Syrian sides of the border that have been recommended to us by our students with knowledge of the area.
To support the Syrian relief effort, please consider:
MCR member and Vice President of the University’s Arab Society, Salma Daoudi (2021 DPhil International Relations) notes that “All three of these organisations are experienced in rescue operations and aid distribution. No large or international organisations are able to access Syrian regions in the way these local organisations are able – and they remain severely under-resourced.”
To support the Turkish relief effort, please consider:
MCR member Süleyman Selim Çınaroğlu (2019, DPhil Biochemistry) suggests these three Turkish organisations to support. AHBAP, a charity founded by Turkish rock singer Haluk Levent, are ‘the most trusted organisation’ in Turkey to respond to the disaster, he says. AKUT, a voluntary search and rescue NGO, are ‘the most experienced in rescue operations in Turkiye’. AFAD are the state disaster agency tasked with overall responsibility for and co-ordination of the Turkish relief efforts.
Support the DEC
You can also support the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), a group of 15 UK charities working together to address this crisis, including Oxfam, Save the Children UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid and Islamic Relief. The advantage of supporting the DEC is that the UK Government will match pound-for-pound up to £5 million donated by the public to this appeal.
Our Welfare team are currently extending support to all Syrian and Turkish members of our college community. We offer our deepest condolences to everyone affected.