Volunteers at Leicester Turkish Education Centre, say they have been “overwhelmed” by donations, designed to support those affected by last week’s devastating earthquake in their home country.
Last Monday (February 6) an earthquake struck southern and central Turkey and also northern and western Syria.
So far as estimated 31,643 people have been killed in the country, while more than 5,800 people are dead in Syria, according to the UN and the Syrian government.
In Leicester, volunteers at the city’s Turkish Education Centre have been collecting a range of items, designed to support survivors who have been left homeless as a result of the disaster.
However, due to the overwhelming success of the appeal, monetary donations are now being sought as a more effective way to help the cause.
“We’ve come to a point where we can only accept monetary donations. It’s the fastest way we can send aid to Turkey, and the fastest way we can support our country effectively,” said Esra Yeter, Volunteer at Leicester Turkish Education Centre.
“I cannot emphasise how grateful I am and for all the support we’ve received over the past week. We have collected so much stuff, from clothes to baby nappies, to medication and heating equipment, food – everything you can think of,” she added. “However, it came to a point where we had to say no to people, because our community centre has been absolutely full of stuff and the airport in Birmingham, where we were shipping it to, they are overarmed with so much stuff as well, they’ve had to say no to us as well.
“From what I heard last time, it was over 50 tonnes of stuff waiting to be shipped to Turkey, thanks to Turkish airlines, who were doing that free of charge but even then, they’re limited in their resources to ship all this stuff.”
Esra told the Leicester Times that she had been touched by the gestures of young girls who have been coming to Leicester Turkish Education Centre in order to donate their own jumpers and coats to the cause.
“That’s very valuable and such a powerful emotion, you know, sharing that pain is so, so nice but from a realistic point of view, monetary donation is the most effective way,” she added.
A Go Fund Me page set up to help the cause, has so far amassed almost £4,000.
Anyone who’s able to donate money to the cause, should visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/urgent-earthquake-appeal
