Message from ICF Turkey Board of Directors: Dear Chapter Leaders, We are deeply saddened by the earthquakes reaching magnitudes of 7.7 and the losses that followed. Today, more than 3.549 casualties have been reported but the number is expected to increase much more. 7 days of mourning has been declared in our country and schools were suspended for a week. This is the biggest disaster that Turkey has experienced since the 1939 Erzincan earthquake. More than 6.000 buildings and houses have been destroyed in 10 cities during those earthquakes and aftershocks. Meanwhile search and rescue teams are still looking for people under the ruin. Due to the impact of this disaster, Turkey has declared a fourth level alert state which means an international call for help. Now, it is time for unity and it is crucial to bind up our wounds and give hand to the earthquake zone. In this context, we are calling all ICF Chapters to help Turkey via donations. Any other co-operation suggestion will be more than welcome. We would like to share the most important trustworthy organisations that you can donate as below; AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency): AFAD is Turkey’s official disaster and emergency management authority. They accept donations in EUR and USD. AKUT (Search and Rescue Association): AKUT is a voluntary, non-governmental organization involved in searching and rescuing the victims of those affected by the earthquake. They are fully transparent about how they spend donations they receive. AHBAP: With 200 philanthropists and 30.000 volunteers on board, AHBAP is an other local voluntary network that is currently active in the affected regions. They accept donations with the swift code “ISBKTRIS” We wish a speedy recovery to the injured, and also we wish the effects of the earthquake to disappear as soon as possible. Warm Regards, ICF Turkey Board of Directors |