Eleven days after the deadly earthquakes, an unprecedented outpouring of solidarity is reaching Turkey. Adana, in particular, has become the rear base of many NGOs. Wednesday evening February 15, during a program broadcast live on television, 6.3 billion euros in donations were collected. The next day, this colossal sum made the front page of many newspapers.
With our special correspondents in Adana, Pierre Olivier and Jad El Khoury
” Thanks to all Turks “, headlined a major national daily this Thursday morning.
It must be said that the emission of the day before was very strongly followed, here. All the figures are out of the ordinary and beyond comprehension. The show was broadcast on 200 television channels and 500 radio stations simultaneously.
On the screen, a slew of stars: actresses, singers, footballers who responded to donors live on the phone. During the first ten minutes of the broadcast, more than 60,000 calls were received!
Regularly, the presenter interrupted the evening to take a live call. Online, the director of the Turkish Central Bank made the largest donation: 1.6 billion euros. Throughout the evening, major Turkish companies called to donate funds.
Of course, the Turks were also very generous. Result: 6.3 billion euros raised in just a few hours. This sum will be used to build new housing for earthquake survivors who sometimes lost everything in a few minutes.
A colossal amount whose use will nevertheless have to be carefully monitored, confides a young man. History that this help goes well to the people who really need it.
“We distribute hygiene products, food, diapers”
Everywhere in Turkey, in general, initiatives to help the victims are multiplying. Relatively spared by the earthquake, the city of Adana has also become the rear base of many NGOs.
Özlem Şimşek is the coordinator of the World Human Relief association. ” We have teams in Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, she enumerates. Here, we receive donations and then dispatch them to these boxes. One hundred volunteers work here and locals come to help us. We distribute hygiene products, food, baby diapers… »
In Adana, the city’s hotels are also helping the victims. The manager of the Şirin Park Otel confides: “ All hotels in Adana have decided to open their doors. Some offer rooms for free, and here we have made our reception rooms available. Since the earthquake, we have welcomed more than 80 people. They no longer have a home, that’s why we welcome them! »
Inside the 4-star hotel, mattresses have been laid out on the marble floor. Hulia Ozgourbac arrived six days ago with her family. “ They constantly ask us if we need something, what a welcome! When another victim arrives, they immediately bring a mattress and sheets. Hygiene is perfect here “, she reports.
A surge of solidarity that even goes beyond the borders of Turkey. Timor Baul is German. He decided to come and lend a hand. ” We bring food to the victims and to the children, we do our best, he assures. Before, I was a Christian, I converted to Islam. These are my brothers and sisters here. I had to help them. If I was in the same situation, I would appreciate someone coming to help me! »
So many initiatives that are multiplying across the country, and giving a glimmer of hope to the tens of thousands of disaster victims.
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