Turkiye Earthquake Relief
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Situation Overview
On February 6, 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake followed by a 7.5 major earthquake shook Southern Turkiye, followed by more than 10,000 aftershocks over the coming weeks. The initial earthquakes wreaked havoc across 11 provinces in Turkiye and parts of North Western Syria, an area the size of Germany where many cities incurred massive damage. For more than 2 weeks, local and international search and rescue crews worked around the clock in cold winter weather digging people out of the rubble of their destroyed homes. The death toll reached over 57,000 people and more than 115,000 were injured. More than 13.5 million people and 4 million buildings were affected by this disaster. More than 300,000 apartments have been destroyed leaving around 1.5 million people homeless.
Hidaya Foundation’s Relief Efforts
For the past several years, Hidaya Foundation has been active in Southern Turkiye where the epicenter of these earthquakes are. It is a region that millions of Syrian refugees have settled.
Hidaya is actively working with our partners based in Turkiye and Syria on emergency relief. In initial weeks, cooked food, water, milk for babies, blankets, jackets and boots have been distributed to families camping outside in the cold due to losing their homes or fear of entering because of structural integrity and continuing aftershocks. Next dry ration food packages and other needed items are being given for affected families in both Turkiye and Syria through Ramadan. There is much need for long term rehabilitation efforts for this disaster and the millions of people affected.
Emergency In-Kind Collection Through Turkish Airlines (Drive Completed, No Longer Accepting In-Kind Items for Turkiye/Syria)
For the first week after the devastating earthquakes, the US Turkish Embassy and Consulates made a special arrangement with Turkish Airlines so certain select US Turkish organizations may coordinate in-kind collections as emergency in-kind assistance via flights from some airports. Being near San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Hidaya Foundation’s San Jose Warehouse served as one of 6 collection drop off point for the Diyanet Silicon Valley’s collection drive, and a hub for in coming collection drives from other communities. The Bay Area community responded generously and many local news channels covered the collection. From Hidaya’s warehouse, we have prepared over 500 boxes containing brand new and like new blankets, winter clothes, shoes/boots, tents, diapers, baby formula, feminine hygiene supplies, medicines and more which were delivered to SFO for flights to Turkiye.
After only a few days, the Consulates stopped taking any kind of clothing or 2nd hand donations and are daily narrowing the list to few new items only. We encourage donors to donate monetarily, as sending money to teams on the ground and buying in bulk makes much more sense financially and logistically.
Project Video
- Locally available vegetables and fruits such as onions, potatoes, tomatoes, banana, and apples are being purchased and distributed to the flood affected families.
- Currently over 10,000 people are being provided cooked food (beef/fish or vegetable biryani) daily. Goal is to ramp up distribution to over 54,000 people daily and to continue distribution for next 2 months. It costs around $50 to cook and distribute a pot of beef/fish biryani (18 kg) enough to feed 90 people. It costs around $25 to cook and distribute a pot of vegetable biryani (18 kg) enough to feed 90 people. Estimated cost for this is $900,000.
- Dry ration containing wheat or rice, chickpeas, cooking oil, soap for hygiene will be distributed to families.
- In the process of importing 25 containers of Chickpeas (625 tons) from Turkey. Estimated cost for this is $750,000.
- In the process of importing 30 containers of cooking oil (120,000 5-liter bottles) from Indonesia. Estimated cost for this is $850,000.
- For immediate distribution, tarps in stock and locally purchased are being distributed to affected families.
- To prepare for winter, over 30,000 tarps worth $360,000 have been ordered from China.
- Small tarps (4×6 meter, 180 gsm) and large tarps (10×10 meter, 180 gsm) will be distributed.
- Medicines for fever, pain, gastric disorders, diarrhea, antibiotics, allergies, skin rashes, etc. are been purchased constantly and dispatched to field operations for distribution.
- Feminine hygiene products will be distributed to women.
- In the process of sending around 20 containers of donated winter and regular clothing from the USA to Pakistan via our Container Shipment for In-Kind Donations project.
- Each container will cost around $10,000 to ship and can clothe approximately 6,000 families (8 pieces in each bag).
- To rebuild a school with 5 classrooms of 320 sq.ft. each and boundary wall costs around $11,650 (Rs. 2,500,000).
- Goal is to rebuild 50 schools at an estimated cost of $582,500.
- With the houses destroyed, the families are faced with a grim winter season ahead. We are planning to distribute 2 quilts and 4 pillows each to around 50,000 families, each set costing around $16 (Rs 3,500). A portion of the quilts will be produced in-house at our female adult center using quilt making machines.
- Estimated project cost is $800,000.
Small Businesses for the Poor – Push Carts
- In order to create jobs and self-employment for people, we are planning to distribute over 1,000 push carts to those affected by floods. Each push cart costs around $200.
- Estimated project cost is $200,000.
- For several years, Hidaya has been distributing cots to families so they can sleep comfortably off the ground and avoid rodents, insects and snake bites. We plan to distribute around 5,000 cots to villagers. Each cot will cost around $50.
- Estimated project cost is $250,000.
- Most of the crops of farmers have been destroyed due to floods. We will be providing seeds and fertilizers to over 10,000 farmers to regrow their crops.
- A great number of livestock have perished in the floods. We will be providing sheep, chicken and ducks to families.
- It costs around $240 for a pair of sheep and $25 for poultry.
- As families are displaced due to floods, Hidaya will be installing water hand pump in places where people have gathered while they wait for waters to recede.
- It costs around $300 to install a water hand pump.
Rebuild a House for Widow/Orphans
- Hidaya supports over 13,000 orphans and over 6,000 widows on a monthly basis with cash assistance in Pakistan. Majority of widow’s mud houses in Sindh province have been destroyed.
- To rebuild a house of 700 sq. ft. at an existing land costs around $4,000 (Rs. 840,000).
- Goal is to rebuild 100 houses at an estimated cost of $400,000.
- Most school supplies of students were destroyed along with their homes. We are planning to provide notebooks, slates, pencils, erasers, sharpeners, etc. to students so they can continue with their education.
- In the process of importing notebooks and stationary items from China. Estimated cost for this is $200,000.