A devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit a region near the border of Turkey and Syria on Monday, killing more than 4,000 people and injuring thousands more.
Authorities fear the death toll will continue to climb as rescuers search for survivors.
How can you get involved? Here’s a list of organizations that Canadians can donate to in order to help relief efforts in the area.
International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee is an organization focused on helping those whose lives and livelihoods have been affected by conflict and disaster, according to its website.
The IRC said that, in 2021, it reached 31.5 million people in various countries that have been affected by crises. The agency has implemented an emergency response to help families in Turkey and Syria.
People who make a monthly gift for the first time will have their gift matched by the organization.
Oxfam Canada Humanitarian Coalition
Oxfam Canada has set up a relief fund for the region.
Meryem Aslan, Oxfam International’s spokesperson in Ankara, said that the organization “is gathering urgent information to assess the scale of devastation and what people most urgently need.”
Typically, Oxfam and its partners provide protection, water and sanitation, shelter and food support, Aslan said.
Turkish Red Crescent
The Turkish Red Crescent is looking for donations to support their efforts with food, shelter and more. The Turkish Red Crescent was established in 1868 and provides aid for those who are “needy and defenceless” in disasters, according to its website.
Donations of 15 Turkish lira (approximately $1) can also be made by texting “EARTHQUAKE” to 2868.
Care
The humanitarian organization Care has set up a Turkey-Syria Earthquakes fund.
According to its website, Care works to “save lives, defeat poverty and achieve social justice.”
The organization said it worked in over 100 countries in 2020 and reached more than 90 million people through the course of 1,300 projects.
Care is looking for donations for emergency aid including for food, shelter, hygiene kits, cold weather supplies and cash assistance.
IHH Humanitarian Foundation
The IHH is a humanitarian organization that, since 1992, has been delivering aid to people who are in need. According to its website, after evolving into an official organization in 1995, it spread across five continents.
The IHH says it will deliver water, food and emergency supplies to the region.
The organization will also be distributing food prepared in a soup kitchen to 100,000 people every day. Its mobile soup kitchen is also en route to the area.
Doctors Without Borders
After the earthquake, Doctors Without Borders provided support to the 23 health facilities across Idlib and Allepo.
“We are currently assessing the situation and needs in Idlib, northern Aleppo and south Turkey to scale up our response accordingly, as the number of deaths and injuries is increasing by the hour,” the organization said in a statement.
Doctors Without Borders is a Nobel Prize-winning emergency humanitarian medical organization. According to its website, the organization has helped tens of millions of people since its founding in 1971.
Save the Children
Save the Children, an organization that advances children’s rights around the world, has teams on the ground in the affected regions to assist in response.
“Children will need urgent support to access food, shelter and warm clothing,” reads the organization’s Children’s Emergency Fund form.
According to their website, The Children’s Emergency Fund enables a quick response to crises around the world.
Nearly 90 per cent of donations made to Save the Children are used to benefit children along with their communities.
Islamic Relief Canada
Islamic Relief Canada is looking for donations to assist in efforts in Turkey and Syria.
According to their Turkiye Syria Earthquake Appeal, $130 can provide a cash grant for a family to purchase basic essentials, $150 can provide a food pack for a displaced family and $275 can provide two families with emergency shelter.
The Islamic Relief says it “works with communities to strengthen their resilience to calamities, and we provide vital emergency aid when disasters occur.”
The organization says it aims to be “first on the ground” when there are emergencies.
Project Hope
Project Hope is an organization providing support for individuals involved in crises and disasters. It has created an earthquake response for relief efforts in Turkey and Syria.
The organization is providing medical supplies and aid to Turkey and Syria.
Project Hope says that for 60 years it has “worked on the front lines of the world’s health challenges, partnered hand-in-hand with communities, health care workers and public health systems to ensure sustainable change.”
It works in five main areas: “disasters and health crises; infectious diseases; noncommunicable diseases; maternal, neonatal and child health; and health policy.”
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