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American Friends Service Committee
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Emergency response: Turkey and Syria
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Dear John,
Over the past two weeks, many in the AFSC community have contributed to our emergency relief fund for earthquake survivors in Turkey and Syria. Our AFSC community of supporters has already helped us raise almost $90,000 to deliver essentials such as tents, blankets, diapers, and more—and sustain ongoing work with the millions of displaced people in the region.
Please help us support the earthquake victims today. With so many displaced people and families needing shelter, food, and basic hygiene supplies, your donation will go a long way to help at this crucial moment.
Last week, I traveled with our Middle East team traveled to southern Turkey to visit some of the country’s most devastated areas. We met with local partners to ensure our assistance is of the most use to local communities.
With a local partner, AFSC is meeting urgent needs in lesser-served areas. We will provide volunteers and critical supplies and services in southern Turkey and northwestern Syria, specifically the cities of Kahramanmaras, Adiyaman, Adana, Osmaniye, Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Hatay, Kilis, Antakya in Turkey and Aleppo and Idlib in Syria.
Our efforts include providing:
• Tents in North Syria.
• Mobile kitchens to serve hot meals in Turkey.
• Water, bread, and other food items.
• Clothing and blankets.
• Hygiene kits and women's sanitary kits.
• Baby diapers and formula.
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Needs may change as the situation unfolds and we are in touch with local partners to continue to adapt to meet the needs in the region.
AFSC’s Program Manager Bilal Olimat shared these observations from his visit to the earthquake zone.
I am heartbroken by what we saw. I do not have any words to describe the scale of destruction and the pain of the people we met. The earthquake caused more destruction than the Syrian war has caused in its 12 years—but it took place in just one or two minutes. To date, the earthquake’s death toll is 44,000, and rescue teams tell us the figure could cross 100,000.
We visited the cities of Adana, Osmaniye, Dörtyol, İskenderun, Belen, Antakya, and the closest city to the Syrian border, Reyhanlı. Those areas are almost destroyed. Some of the hardest hit areas are larger than entire countries in the region—much larger than all of Jordan and Lebanon's urban areas combined. In Antakya, which has a population of around 1.7 million, there is almost not a single building that is safe to live in. Several cities are also out of water, electricity, and gas.
Thank you for helping with our relief effort. With millions displaced, this effort needs a truly global response.
In peace,
Khaled Elkouz
Middle East Regional Director
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American Friends Service Committee
1501 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
United States
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