March 30, 2023
News
Almost two months have passed since the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, claiming the lives of more than 57,000 people. The locals are still in need of help, many of them living in makeshift shelters and lacking decent sanitation. We have been helping the affected people since day one. We bring you the stories of the people we have helped thanks to the funds from the Caritas for Turkey and Syria fundraising appeal.
DONATE TO CARITAS FOR TURKEY AND SYRIA
Amina
"I woke up at night because I was hungry and had a small piece of bread. As I ate, I felt strong tremors," recalls Amina, 75, from the Syrian village of Haj Iskandar, about the moment the devastating earthquake struck. "Everything in my house started falling to the ground. I heard a man's voice calling out to me that my sister's house had collapsed to the ground. My sister's entire family, including her five children, died. I think about them every day," Amina adds sadly.
We help people like Amina thanks to the funds collected in the Caritas for Turkey and Syria fundraising appeal. Amina received food aid from us, which is still very much needed. Together with our partners, we are distributing drinking water and food parcels in the affected regions, enough to feed a family of five to six for one month.
WHERE IS MY HOME: MORE STORIES
Bashir
Bashir fled to northwest Syria with his family three years ago when civil war drove them from their home region. He lives in the village of Kordan in the Jenderes region with his wife and three children. This is where they were when the strong earthquake on Monday 6th of February struck.
"When we felt the tremors, we quickly fled the house. I thought it was just our house that collapsed, but at dawn I saw how many houses were destroyed. I built a simple tent for us with sticks and old carpets so that our children would not be cold," Bashir says.
We provided Bashir with food aid. Particularly in the first days after the earthquake, providing food aid was crucial; cross-border help had not been reaching rebel-held areas in northwestern Syria for a long time. So only local organisations, including our partner organisation Violet, could provide help on the ground. Bashir and his family received food parcels thanks to money raised by the fundraising appeal Caritas for Turkey and Syria.
Jourieh
Like Bashir, 58-year-old Jourieh had to flee to north-west Syria because of the ongoing civil war. She fled to the region five years ago.
"On Monday, February 6, shortly after 4 a.m., I felt tremors. I immediately woke up my family and forced them to leave the house. When we were outside, all the buildings in the area suddenly started to fall down, with more people running from the ruins, it was a terrible sight," Jourieh describes the first moments that followed the tragic earthquake.
Jourieh and her family fled to safety outside of the city, away from the falling buildings. Our partners at Violet provided Jourieh with immediate humanitarian assistance. For example, she received hygiene kits. Our partners are also building emergency latrines with water storage facilities on site. Ensuring decent sanitation is crucial in a disaster site to prevent the spread of diseases in desperate conditions.
How can you help
We can help people like Amina, Bashir and Jourieh thanks to the money donated to the Caritas for Turkey and Syria fundraiser. With these donations we are able to purchase material aid on the spot and provide basic necessities and shelter for the affected families so that they can sleep in safe conditions and have decent sanitation.
Thank you to everyone who decides to help.
Donate by transfer to a collection account
IBAN: CZ79 0800 0000 0000 5566 0022
Payment reference number: 118
Thank you
QR CODE
