I’m sure you’ve heard about the horrific earthquake which struck Turkey on the 6th February. As I’m recording this over 25,000 people have been confirmed dead. Many, many more will be reported so in the coming weeks. Tens of thousands have been injured. And the UN is now saying that at least 870,000 people need food urgently. While millions of people across Turkey and Syria have been made homeless.
This is an appeal for you to donate to one of the various charities who are rushing to the scene at this moment to help the survivors. You have a number of options. You may have campaigns being run in your country by reputable organisations. So here in the UK the Disaster Emergency Committee have launched an appeal that has raised millions. This is an organisation which brings a group of charities together. In this case Oxfam, Save the Children, Tearfund and Islamic Relief amongst many others.
To help specific groups directly:
The White Helmets are volunteers who have been operating in Syria for many years. They help evacuate people from dangerous areas and offer medical help.
https://www.whitehelmets.org/en/
AKUT Search and Rescue Association. They are a non-governmental organisation offering emergency and disaster relief to people caught up in natural disasters in Turkey.
https://www.akut.org.tr/en/donation
AHBAP an independent civilian organisation who offer disaster relief to communities in need across Turkey. This is the organisation that the kind listener who prompted me to make this appeal recommends.
https://ahbap.org/disasters-turkey
International Red Cross
https://www.icrc.org/en/donate/syria-emergency
Turkish Red Crescent
https://www.kizilay.org.tr/Bagis/BagisYap/404/pazarcik-depremi-bagisi
The History of Byzantium 
Thank you very much for this initiative, Robin.
These are devastating news. I am surprised by how my classmates have not even heard of what is happening (I am 13 by the way). Nobody deserved this. At first, I had heard that 2100 people were found dead. Now 25 thousand. It is devastating. No one deserved this.
Just donated to the White Helmets. Thank you for your dedication. Just want to congratulate you, by the way, on the episodes on the 4th crusade and the fall of Constantinople. One of your best work so far, I think. Keep up your amazing work. Love your podcast.
Serge
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Thank you for putting this out.
It’s not that the countries would have any trouble feeding 800 000 people–if they just appeared in places where services would be still available. However… For example, In Hatay (Antioch), a city of 1.6M people, the city center has been without running water or sanitation for five days. The temperatures are below freezing at night. Because of the war to the south, Hatay hosts many Syrian refugees, which means some services were operating beyond their usual capacity anyhow. No water, no sanitation; many, many deceased who haven\t been yet removed from the wreckage… The reports say that children started having the runs. The city has an odor. Main roads are open but side roads aren’t in a condition for a truck to go through. Immediate and urgent help is needed. And later, long term help (not the least will be the psychological help) will be needed for the hundreds of thousands of traumatized, affected people who have utterly lost their way of life.
Again, thank you.
Consider donating to either the Syrian American Medical Society, or a group that works in both Turkey and Syria, because the victims in Syria are in many ways worse off.
I wanted to add something else to my previous comment (awaiting moderation):
Every reporter who’s been to Antakya (Hatay, Antioch) says the same thing:
Antioch is no more.