Turkey and Syria need our help. On 6th February 2023, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit the two neighbouring countries, leaving widespread destruction in its wake.
The death toll has risen to 50,000, with countless casualties still unaccounted for and trapped under rubble. The situation was made even more dire by the aftershocks that have caused further damage to the buildings, infrastructure and landscape of the two countries.
While Singapore may be far away from this devastating tragedy, we can still do our part to aid the victims of this earthquake. Here, we’ve listed organisations that you can donate to as part of a global mission to help the people of Turkey and Syria.
Feature Image: International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
1. Singapore Red Cross Society
In response to the catastrophic earthquake, the Singapore Red Cross Society has pledged USD$100,000 in humanitarian aid to the Turkish Red Crescent and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.
Both entities have deployed emergency response teams on the ground to help those affected, be it through distributing essential items (like food, water, tents and blankets) or assisting in search and rescue missions.
- Find out how you can donate here
2. DBS/POSB
A bank with a heart, DBS/POSB created LiveBetter, a new sustainability initiative that’s accessible via the DBS digibank app. Now, there’s an added Give Better feature on DBS LiveBetter that lets you donate to those affected by the earthquake.
Within just three days of their fundraising campaign, bank customers donated $550,000. If you’re a bank customer, you’ll be happy to know that your donations will go directly to the Singapore Red Cross Society’s efforts to aid the Turkey-Syria earthquake victims.
- Find out how you can donate here
3. Islamic Relief Singapore
One of the world’s largest Muslim NGOs, Islamic Relief has over 100 offices in 40 countries, including Singapore. While its humble beginnings are rooted in immediate disaster relief, it now also provides water, food and education as part of its long-term, sustainable care.
Their rescue teams are currently in south-eastern Turkey and north-western Syria to provide food, drinks, medical supplies and other essentials to the earthquake victims. They have launched a fundraising appeal, hoping to raise $31 million to continue their life-saving work.
- Find out how you can donate here
4. World Vision Singapore
An international Christian humanitarian organisation, World Vision aids children, families and their communities – regardless of religion, ethnicity or gender – by addressing root causes of poverty and injustice.
They currently have teams distributing life-saving non-food items and heat supplies in Turkey and Syria where the cold is a concern. In Singapore, World Vision launched a public fundraising appeal, doubling its pledge to $200,000 to support the need for relief items.
- Find out how you can donate here
5. Save the Children
Save the Children champions the rights of kids to grow up healthy, educated and safe, especially those who are vulnerable in the most remote and hard-to-reach places around the world.
Their emergency response team is on a mission to distribute hot meals, blankets and winter clothes to the earthquake victims taking shelter in temporary facilities, including the sports stadium in Hanay. Your donation to their Emergency Children’s Fund will go a long way.
- Find out how you can donate here
6. MATW Project
Founded by the late Ali Banat – the Australian businessman who became a philanthropist after he was diagnosed with cancer – Muslims Around the World (MATW) Project focuses on communal involvement and maximising donations through sustainable development works.
The organisation is currently seeking donations that will go into their survival kits that provide “shelter, health essentials and protection against the risk of any uncertain circumstances” to those affected in Turkey and Syria.
- Find out how you can donate here
7. UNICEF
Non-political and impartial, UNICEF or the United Nations Children’s Fund was formed to safeguard the rights of children everywhere, especially disadvantaged children in hard-to-access parts of the world.
With millions of children in dire need of disaster relief support in Turkey and Syria, their response teams have been working around-the-clock to distribute essential, life-saving supplies and creating safe spaces for kids to play and recover from the trauma of the devastating events.
- Find out how you can donate here
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![[Content warning – this profile piece discusses the subject of suicide that may be sensitive and potentially triggering. Reader discretion is advised. Information about seeking help is available at the end of the carousel post. Stay safe]
“My brother died 8 years ago. I was at home when I found out. It was a Friday night, and I was on a long-distance call with my partner who was in Europe at the time. At 1am, I got up from bed to go to the toilet. That’s when I saw my mum crying alone in the living room.
My mum isn’t a particularly emotional person. I’ve probably seen her cry three times my whole life. I was worried and concerned, of course, and asked what’s going on. She turned to me and said, ‘I have bad news. Joel died.’
When a sibling dies unexpectedly, it takes time for you to process the news. And then you realise that your family will never be the same again. You will never be full or complete anymore. There is only brokenness. And that was the first emotion that hit me really hard.
The next morning, we got more details, and I learnt that he killed himself. When someone commits suicide, family is required to identify the body at the mortuary. My mum said, ‘Look, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to.’ And I’m thinking, how can I let you do this alone?!
Even though I could sense a heaviness in the air around her, my mother looked relatively composed. But when they wheeled in the body, she simply broke. She kept saying that it’s not him. It’s not him. It doesn’t look like him. I had never seen that side of her before.
My mother was always put together, but at that moment, she sounded like a young mother who had just lost her newborn baby. It was less heartbreaking that I lost my brother, and more painful that I had to see her that way.
When my brother was 12, he moved out of the house and lived with my grandmother. I never knew why. Maybe it’s because we weren’t well-to-do. Maybe it’s because our parents didn’t have the best of relationships. I was his younger sister, but I didn’t know much about him.
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