The earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on 6th February, 2023 has so far killed over 25,000 people and rendered over 5.3 million people homeless and starving. Latest figures as of today say, more than 870,000 people urgently need food and shelter. We are working with small teams inside Turkey and Northwest Syria to provide immediate assistance to the people affected by this disaster. We are trying to ensure that people in desperate need who have not been reached by larger organizations (that are themselves overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster and the sheer number of people who need assistance) are not left out of the rescue and relief efforts. We have boots on the ground, working in groups of 2-3 who are responding to calls of help unattended by other sources. We are ensuring that we provide exactly what is needed without wasting precious resources on supplies not currently required. 

Yusra Community Center (yusracommunitycenter.org) is a community run space that has been working with displaced communities in Istanbul, Turkey since 2016. They are currently working with various small groups of volunteers on the ground in the earthquake affected regions to provide immediate supplies and mobilize support. Our team in Istanbul has been packing and sending supplies through their center in Istanbul as well as supporting the official relief efforts through the municipality relief centers. We are also coordinating and sharing important information to affected people in the region through our networks. 

Your support is crucial right now to support our work to provide immediate and urgent assistance to people on the ground. Every contribution will be vital and will make a significant impact in the lives of those who are currently homeless and in need of basic necessities like food, shelter and medical help. We are currently fundraising to buy tents, medicines and medical supplies, heaters, hygiene products, baby milk/food, ready-to-eat food. 

Your donation will be used to: 

·       Provide ready-to-eat food, clean water and medicines to survivors 

·       Provide temporary shelter and heating to people who have lost their homes 

·       Provide medicines and hygiene items to survivors 

·       Other emergency items 

Out of necessity, this fundraiser is being co-ordinated by MeaningfulWork in Canada (www.meaningful.ca) who is passing donations on directly to Yusra Community Center with no transaction fees except any required currency conversions.