How to Help Earthquake Victims in Turkey and Syria

A number of communities in our region are mobilizing to help with relief efforts following the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria that have left thousands dead and many still unaccounted for.

With hope fading to find survivors, stretched rescue teams toiled through the night in Turkey and Syria, searching for survivors in the rubble buildings that collapsed by a catastrophic 7.8 earthquake that hit the area Monday. The death toll rose Wednesday to more than 11,000 in the deadliest quake worldwide in more than a decade.

In Syria, aid efforts have been hampered by the ongoing war and the rebel-held region along the border, which is surrounded by Russia-backed forces. Syria itself is also under Western sanctions linked to the war.

A number of local organizations and municipalities have taken to the ground running to provide aid to victims of the earthquake.

(TIP: Before you decide to donate to a charity, you can check a charity’s legitimacy on Charity Navigator or the Better Business Bureau’s Give.org.)

Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder today detailed the current U.S. military assets that have been deployed to assist Turkey in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes in the country. 

HOW TO HELP

NEW YORK

New York City has launched a Help Now NYC portal specifically to help those impacted by the earthquake.

The Help Now NYC site provides information on ways the public can help those affected by disasters.

The website provides a number of organizations the public can donate to. These organizations are not limited to New Yorkers and are opened to the public.

Additionally, the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C., and Turkish consulates, including the one in New York City (see address below), are accepting in-kind assistance.

The items requested are:

• Blankets
• Tents
• Sleeping bags
• Pocket warmers
• Winter clothing (jackets, gloves, headgear)
• Over-the-counter medications for flu, cold, and pain killers

Please place your items in clear bags and provide an itemized list of the contents in the bag, the embassy notes, adding that the in-kind donations will be sent to Türkiye through Turkish Airlines “in a speedy and prioritized manner.”

Those interested are asked to send item donations to the Turkish Embassy or Turkish consulates in the U.S.via mail or in-person drop off.

Turkish Consulate General in New York
821 United Nations Plaza, 10017, New York City, NY
Phone: +1 (212) 351-7200
Emergency line: +1 646 204 0011
E-mail : [email protected]

There are about 100,000 Turkish-Americans in the tri-state area, with many of these families dealing directly with the pain of this deadly earthquake.

The Long Island’s Turkish Cultural Center has launched a relief project to collect monetary donations for earthquake victims.

In Carlstadt, NJ people are already participating in relief efforts and collecting donations for earthquake victims. Greg Cergol reports.

NEW JERSEY

The Turkish-American community in Carlstadt immediately responded in the aftermath of the disaster by donating clothing, blankets and other items.

New, not used items are what organizers are really asking for. Shipper PortX, owned by an immigrant from the earthquake zone in Turkey, is handling all of it — emptying a warehouse and arranging for two shipping containers a day to move donations.

“Anything you can give us we will try to get to Turkey with the airlines and also some of the stuff we will send them in sea containers as soon as possible,” Peter Ulu, of PortX, said.

The appeal is broad based — not just to the Turkish-American community. Paterson’s Dominican community has already pledged support.

Additionally, three Syrian-American mayors in New Jersey are asking for immediate help for the communities in northern Syria and southern Turkey.

Montvale Mayor Michael Ghassali and Prospect Park Mayor Mohamed Khairullah, both born in Aleppo, Syria, as well as Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh, whose mother also hails from Aleppo, joined forces to ask the federal government and international community to send equipment to extract those trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings, and donate money to directly aid those impacted by the devastation without being flagged, due to current sanctions against the Syrian government.

“Right now we are in a race against time to save hundreds, if not thousands of people that are trapped and still may be alive,” Khairullah said in a statement.

Sayegh shared similar sentiments saying that that it is “a humanitarian effort that requires complete cooperation and seamless coordination.”

Meanwhile, Ghassali added that “with death toll rising and thousands without shelter or food, this is becoming a humanitarian disaster by the minute.”

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy also said the state is ready to provide relief assistance.

Embrace Relief, a non-profit organization headquartered in New Jersey that works with volunteers to deliver aid and disaster relief to communities world-wide, is also collecting donations.

The Turkish American community is already responding with donations for earthquake victims. Brian Thompson reports.

OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

Many governments and aid groups have rushed to dispatch personnel, funds and equipment to help the rescue efforts in quake-stricken areas. (To take a look at some of these nationwide and international organizations who are mobilizing to help those reeling from the aftermath of the devastation, click here.)