Queenstown support for earthquake victims
Hearts are being moved around the country to support those left grieving, orphaned, without shelter in just the clothes on their backs, and in freezing temperatures after the devastating Turkey-Syria earthquakes this week.
Queenstown’s small tight-knit Turkish community is joining others in doing all it can, sending money to appeals to help the victims back in their home country.
Thankfully, family and friends of local Turkish Kebabs owner Osman Tekinkaya live in a different part of Turkey and are safe and well, even though the earthquakes were felt all over Turkey.
“We’re sending money overseas to support earthquake victims as a group. The Turkish Embassy in Wellington is also doing something,” says Osman.
While some of Queenstown’s Turkish community has dispersed around the region there are still about 20 Turkish people living in Queenstown.
“It’s sad seeing all the buildings down and the people affected – heart-breaking,” says Adem Califak, of Wanaka’s Snack Shack Turkish Kebabs. Thankfully, his family and the families of his staff and friends are safe and they’re all sending money back home through their trusted Turkish, Auckland-based food supplier, who’s collecting money for earthquake victims.
Queenstown-based Orphans Aid International ceo and founder Sue van Schreven launched a massive Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal on Wednesday (February 8) through the charity’s supporters in NZ and Australia.
Overnight $20,000 had been raised and by Friday afternoon that had already reached $36,000, most of the donations coming from NZ.
By Friday (February 10) the death toll was more than 20,000 after the two devastating 7.8 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes, with tens of thousands more injured, thousands of collapsed buildings and apartment blocks, and millions affected throughout Turkey and Syria.
“There will be overwhelming need in the coming months,” says Sue, whose organisation cares for orphans, and runs homes and programmes to save children and families in vulnerable countries around the world.
“We’re in a good place to help with our strong networks and can reach out to people and organisations already on the ground with orphanages, the newly-orphaned, families and individuals in desperate need.”
“While other agencies specialise in that initial emergency response, rescuing any survivors from the rubble, our strength lies in resourcing the people doing the immediate care after that first emergency response,” says Sue. “We know which charities need to purchase milk formula, for example, or those who need a building for shelter. We hope that first wave of rescue aid comes in very quickly and we can support after that.”
These earthquakes have obviously been absolutely devastating on a massive scale and it’s hard to comprehend the situation unless you’re there, she says. “Not only have buildings, towns and cities been wiped out, but it’s mid-winter and they have very severe winters there.”
It’s been heartening to see small children, a new-born baby and the odd other survivor pulled from the rubble, even days on, but Sue says the need for assistance is going to be huge.
“I’m expecting there will be an absolute flood of new children, orphans, or those separated from their parents, as well as adults and families needing homes,” she says. “I know we can get the funds to the right people quickly.”
She’s hoping Orphans Aid can raise $100,000 in the next month when she and husband Carl are travelling to next-door Bulgaria for a meeting of other European aid agencies working with orphans. That meeting was already planned, but Sue’s expecting the Turkey-Syria earthquakes to be a major focus of that gathering now.
To donate to the Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal:
Orphans Aid International Westpac 031750 0349476-00
(include the word QUAKE)
or through: www.orphansaidinternational.org/quake
