Issue 58: What can I do after the earthquake in Turkey?
A horrific earthquake has reduced an entire region to rubble - here is how you can help
I am returning from a long hiatus, spent primarily on dissertation work and other projects, to respond to several questions I’ve been asked in the last 24 hours regarding the catastrophic earthquake in southeastern Turkey and northern Syria on February 6th. The incident occurred in the dead of night, and in the aftermath it is very clear that we are talking about one of the deadliest natural disasters in recent memory, striking a region already beset by a multitude of social, economic and geopolitical challenges.
This is a humanitarian crisis that will have serious implications for Turkey, Syria, and other countries in the area. The recorded death toll is in the thousands and will continue to rise in the coming days. Winter temperatures will slow rescue efforts and punish those trapped underneath the rubble. There aren’t adequate resources, and the effort to respond to this crisis will require both immediate and long term investments.
So what can be done to help? I’m going to list a number of suggestions that I’ve mined from reliable, trusted sources. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have additional ideas or questions.
Ahbap
Ahbap is not associated with state agencies. For those readers in the US, you can make sure your money gets to Ahbap by making a donation to Bridge to Turkiye Fund:
And other US-based Turkish academics have created GoFundMe pages to make the process easier:
Two other civil society groups working on the ground to provide immediate relief and medium- to long-term recovery are the UK-based Turkey Mozaik Foundation: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/kahramanmarasearthquake
and the US-based Turkish Philanthropy Funds: https://www.tpfund.org/
Turkey’s Search & Rescue Association, AKUT: https://www.akut.org.tr/en/donation
Of course, one cannot forget that there is also destruction and casualties in Syria. Given the complications of delivering aid to Syria, the best recommendation I have at the moment is to support the White Helmets and their ongoing efforts: https://www.whitehelmets.org/en/
There will be time for analysis and pontification later, but for now please consider supporting one of these initiatives - or your national aid agency that no doubt will be sending teams to operate on the ground - in order to provide critical relief and aid following this disaster.