How to support those affected by the Turkey-Syria earthquake

Here are the official ways you can help…

On February 6, a tragic magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey and Syria, leaving at least 3,000 dead and over 12,000 injured. It is the deadliest tragedy to hit Turkey since 1939, according to The National– powerful enough to also be felt in parts of Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine.

HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai have already sent a search and rescue team along with a medical team to set up a field hospital in earthquake-struck Turkey and Syria.

And if you’re looking for ways to help those affected, here are some official channels and other organisations to look into.

Share The Meal

Sharethemeal brings together supporters in their goal to end global hunger. The team who works with World Food Program are supporting the emergency response to the earthquake in Turkey and Syria and as per their website is on the front lines ad will join partners to help as needed and requested. Head here to donate.

sharethemeal.org

UNICEF Gulf

United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund is calling on support to help respond to the needs of children affected by the earthquake. The UNICEF team are on the grounds currently assessing the full extent of the devastation. Donate to assist the charity organisation with shelter from the cold temperatures, safe drinking water and hygiene essentials. You can donate here.

Turkish Business Council Dubai

The Turkish Business Council in Dubai has launched a campaign. The council is collecting items such as jackets, raincoats, gloves, canned food, diapers, hygiene materials, tents, blankets and more. The entire list can be found in the post above. You can deliver the items until February 8 until 8pm here. Abu Dhabi residents can support directly at the Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

For more information, call 0585847876 (Dubai) or 050 869 9389 (Abu Dhabi)

@tbcdubai

Emirates Red Crescent

Emirates Red Crescent (ERC) Authority in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) and the Ministry of Community Development is running a campaign to help those affected by the devasting earthquake.

The campaign will begin with the packaging of the initial aid on Saturday, February 11 from 9am to 2pm at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) and the Dubai Exhibition Centre, at Expo City Dubai. Donations can be made in cash and in-kind over the course of two weeks. Those interested in contributing to the campaign can register via volunteers.ae.

@volunteers.ae

Mubadala Investment Company is offering tennis fans the opportunity to support the Emirates Red Crescent ‘Bridges of Good’  humanitarian campaign. Mubadala will be donating a sum of matching ticket sales for this weekend’s semi-finals and finals of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open to the campaign. The tennis tournament is taking place until Sunday, February 12.

@mubadala

Sahim Initiative

Part of the non-profit organization HAND, Sahim Initiative is donating new winter clothes, shoes, blankets, toys and medical supplies to victims in Syria. Do note, we’ve read a few comments on the social media post that state the contact number could be wrong, so DM the team for more information. A new post may be uploaded with the correct information, so stay tuned to @sahiminitiative

Art Dubai

Art Dubai is donating half the money it receives from online ticket sales from February 7 to 28 to registered charities supporting victims of the tragedy. Tickets can be purchased here. Art Dubai is one of the biggest art events in the county and is running from Wednesday, March 1 to 5.

@artdubai

The Giving Movement

The Giving Movement is donating 8,000 pieces of clothing to Turkey and Syria in light of the earthquakes. In an Instagram post (see above), TGM has tagged three big brands here in the UAE requesting them to join the movement and multiply the impact. The brand also invites its readers to do the same and tag three brands to join the movement. Social media, work your magic.

@thegivingmovement

As more official channels become available, What’s On will be sure to add to this list, so go ahead and bookmark it.