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Turkey-Syria earthquakes: how you can help

10 Feb 2023

We're highlighting a range of trusted organisations and charities providing relief and support in the affected areas

Turkey Syria earthquakes

The earthquakes in Turkey and Syria have devastated the lives of thousands of individuals and their communities, and there is already a considerable relief effort under way, both domestically and from around the world, to help those affected. 

We've compiled a list of trusted organisations and charities that you may wish to support - these have been shared with us by colleagues and students. 

How you can help

University-led fundraising

  • The University of Manchester Students' Union has set up a funding page through the Turkish and Northern Cypriot Society where you can donate.
  • Aid donations: The Turkish and Northern Cypriot Society are also asking for any donations of winter clothes, blankets, tents, shoes, sanitary products, canned food, and sleeping bags that could be donated. The collection point is based outside the SU building and any donations would be greatly appreciated.
  • You may wish to donate towards the UK-MED Turkey-Syria appeal. UK-MED is a frontline medical aid charity based at our University. In 2020 they worked in 13 countries, responding to calls for emergency medical assistance following crises like disease outbreaks, natural disasters and conflict. A team from UK-Med flew over earlier in the week to assess and set up medical and humanitarian support in the field. This is all coordinated on behalf of the UK FCO and NHS from our campus. 

Donating to charities and relief organisations

You may consider making a donation to the following national and international organisations:

  • Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) charities and their local partners are among the first responders, working with locally-led relief efforts in Turkey and Syria. Immediate priorities are search and rescue, medical treatment for the injured, shelter for those who have lost their homes, heaters for spaces and winter kits with blankets, and warm clothes, and ensuring people have food and clean water. Through UK Aid Match, the UK government will match every £1 raised, to a maximum of £5million.
  • UNICEF are supporting unaccompanied children to locate their families and working to prioritise water, sanitation, hygiene, and nutrition in Syria.
  • Global Giving are assisting local non-profit agencies, collecting donations to support the efforts of emergency medical workers by providing food, shelter, medicine, and other essentials.
  • Red Cross UK have launched a crisis response operation and mobilised teams in more than 10 regions across the country, while the Syrian Arab Red Crescent is delivering assistance and support to those in need in the regions of Hama, Aleppo and Lattakia.
  • OXFAM has stated that it is working with women's cooperatives in Turkey to formulate an appropriate immediate and long-term response plan.
  • CARE is accepting donations that will be used to provide food, shelter, hygiene kits, and other necessary items.

There are also the following local search and rescue organisations that are active in Turkey:

  • AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency)
  • AKUT (Search and Rescue Association) is a voluntary search and rescue organization.
  • AHBAB is a highly active voluntary network active in the affected regions. 

And in Syria:

  • White Helmets, officially known as Syria Civil Defence, is a volunteer organisation that operates in parts of opposition-controlled Syria and in Turkey.
  • Molham Volunteering Team, a non-profit, charitable organisation providing aid to internally displaced and refugee Syrians in northern Syria and neighbouring countries. 

Regular giving

Did you know, that our University has a payroll giving scheme? This enables you to donate to your favourite charity on a regular or one-off basis by automatic deductions from your monthly pay. Your charity receives your donation, but also the amount that you’d normally pay in tax at no extra cost to you.