The Turkish government is requesting the following supplies:
- Blankets.
- Tents.
- Sleeping bags.
- Pocket warmers.
- Winter clothing (jackets, gloves, headgear).
- Over-the-counter medications for flu and colds; and pain killers.
Cengiz and fellow Turkish students Eren Okandan and Esra Tiras are also encouraging people to give badly needed monetary donations to both Syria and Turkey via outlets including UNICEF and the British Red Cross.
“I mean, talk about the impact of this thing,” Okandan said. “It’s almost as if this earthquake was from Philadelphia to New York City. That’s how big of an area that it is impacting.”
Tiras has a lot of friends from Kahramanmaras, a place in Turkey that was hit hard by the quake. She said she has been in touch with people from the Turkish community and heard of a number of people who were killed in the earthquake. One of her friends, a young woman named Belgin, is still missing in the rubble.
“The world should be aware of how an earthquake can cause catastrophes for other people and their families as well,” Tiras said. “Although I am unable to physically help my fellow citizens from far away, I believe I can at least raise awareness and contribute to the relief efforts by collecting funds for their needs. I need to do something for those people. And not just Turkish people – Syrian people as well.”
