How to Help Victims of the Earthquake in Turkey & Syria

The news coming out of Turkey and northern Syria is shocking. The devastating earthquake that struck the region will continue to wreak havoc on those in the region. For those who would like to help, you may look to the International Blue Crescent Relief and Development Foundation (IBC) and Turkish Philanthropy Funds. 

The New York Times has published a guide to organizations bringing relief to the area.

  • The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, better known as UNICEF, said it is in Syria and prioritizing water, sanitation, hygiene and nutrition, and also focusing on helping unaccompanied children locate their families. UNICEF is accepting donations.
  • Global Giving, which helps local nonprofit agenciesis collecting donations to help fund emergency medical workers’ ability to provide food, shelter and medicine, among other necessities. As needs in Turkey and Syria change, the organization will focus on long-term assistance, it said.
  • The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is requesting donations for its Disaster Response Emergency Fund so it can send “immediate cash assistance.”
  • OXFAM, an international organization that fights poverty, said it is working with women’s cooperatives in Turkey to determine an appropriate immediate and long-term response plan. It is accepting donations.
  • CARE, an organization that works with impoverished communities, is accepting donations that will go toward food, shelter and hygiene kits, among other items.
  • Doctors Without Borders, which responds to medical emergencies around the world, is collecting donations.
  • The Syrian American Medical Society, a United States-based humanitarian group that supplies medical care in Syria and nearby countries, is collecting donations to deliver emergency aid. At least one of its hospitals in northwestern Syria, Al Dana, received major damage.
  • Save the Children is accepting donations for its Children’s Emergency Fund, which will help provide children with food, shelter and warm clothing.
  • The Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations, which since 2012 has provided medical relief and health care services inside Syria and to Syrian refugees in Turkey, is collecting money.

There are other lists or organizations that have been vetted for their effectiveness. 

The devastation is all but unimaginable. Help will be needed for a long time.