Turkey quake survivors pick up the pieces as Turks in Singapore desperate to help
In two weeks, Turkey experienced devastating earthquakes that killed thousands. How are survivors rebuilding their lives, and what is the best way to offer help?
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Time for tea and not self-pity, as the Turkish people pick up the pieces after the earthquakes
The Straits Times
I’m more of a coffee person, but while in Turkey recently to cover the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes, I had almost five cups of tea daily.
It was winter, and hot tea was always offered by the locals manning aid relief centres, storage facilities and petrol kiosks.
It’s a tradition of hospitality, I came to understand, and even in their depths of despair from having lost their homes and loved ones, they were still welcoming me with tea.
Turks in S’pore feeling desperate, doing what they can to help: Turkish Ambassador
The Straits Times
Moments after Turkish Ambassador to Singapore Mehmet Burcin Gonenli heard about the earthquake in his country on Feb 6, a colleague approached him, sick with worry.
The woman, the embassy’s first secretary and deputy chief of mission, had family in Kahramanmaras, one of the badly hit regions.
Speaking to The Sunday Times at the Turkish Embassy in Shenton Way on Thursday, Mr Gonenli, 50, said she wanted to rush back to Turkey to help her family.
Nearly $9m raised by S’pore for Turkey-Syria quakes, but donated items must suit needs: Aid groups
The Straits Times
Tents, blankets and sleeping bags unsuitable for wintry conditions were among items the Singapore public tried to donate to victims of the Turkey-Syria earthquakes, said an aid group here.
So far, individuals and organisations here have raised nearly $9 million in funds for buying and distributing food and water for victims of the 7.8-magnitude quake and donated necessities such as tents and fuel.
The quake struck on Feb 6 and was followed by thousands of aftershocks, including a quake of magnitude 6.4 in the region on Feb 20. In total, more than 100,000 buildings have collapsed in both countries.
5 deadly natural disasters: How S’pore helped
A 68-member Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) team helped with rescue operations in Turkey after a massive earthquake on Feb 6. The Straits Times looks at how Singapore has helped in five of the worst natural disasters in the past 20 years.
