Volunteer Research Entries

By Julia Latremouille

[Version française à venir]

Ottawa’s Turkish Communities Helping Earthquake Victims

Tens of thousands have been killed and more with injuries after a major earthquake struck South-Eastern Turkey near the Syrian border. This earthquake was registered as a 7.8 on the official magnitude scale and occurred early Monday morning, while most of the residence were still asleep. Rescue workers are still trying to race against time to pull survivors out from the rubble of collapsed buildings.

In response to this devastating quake, the Ottawa Turkish community is working hard to collect and send supplies to the affected areas. Given the current weather in Turkey, community members are asking for donations of any warm clothing or blankets to help those in need. This effort is being led by the Turkish Canadian Cultural Association who have started the process of collecting, packaging, and shipping for the supplies to be sent to Istanbul, Turkey. Volunteers from the community are encouraging Canadians to donate to organizations and consider cash contributions to enable people to buy what they need and stimulate the economy.

A search and rescue team from British Columbia has travelled to Turkey to take part in the rescue of citizens still trapped under the rubble. They have successfully rescued one woman from underneath a collapsed building who had been stranded there for more than four days after the earthquake hit. They are the only team from Canada acting as rescuers in the quake zone after independently offering to help. However, Canadian organizations are deploying aid workers to help the survivors and those who are seeking refuge in other countries.

With a town to more than 13.5 million residents, Turkiye experienced one of the most devastating disasters in the nation’s history. They have officially declared a three-month state of emergency which has inevitably forced around 380 000 people to take immediate refuge in government shelters and hotels as well as in shopping malls, stadiums, mosques, and community centres.

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Reference:

CTV News Ottawa (2023, February 7). Turkey Earthquake: Ottawa’s Turkish Community Rallies to Help Earthquake Victims. Retrieved on February 9, 2023, from https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/ottawa-s-turkish-community-rallies-to-help-earthquake-victims-1.6263818.