The Muslim Association of Brantford has launched a humanitarian effort to help those affected by Monday’s earthquake in Turkey.
The earthquake affected an area that is home to 13.5 million people in Turkey and an unknown number in Syria. The death toll has topped 20,000.
“The situation is desperate and the need is great,” Naser Hamed, president of the association, said Friday. “Thousands of people have died and thousands more are homeless and surviving in tents.
“It’s winter there, it’s very cold and people are in shock.”
The association is collecting donations that will be sent to the area.
Items can be dropped off at the Islamic Centre, 200 Greenwich St., next to the Brantford Mosque, on
• Feb. 10, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Feb. 11.8 am to 10 am and from 5 pm to 7 pm
• Feb. 12.8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
• Feb. 13, 8 am to 10 am and 7 pm to 9 pm
Organizers say all donated items must be new because there is no capacity to wash items.
They say there is a need for winter clothing, including coats, gloves, scarves, hats and socks, tents, mattresses for tents, blankets, sleeping bags, diapers and sanitary napkins.
Non-perishable food also is being collected.
The local donations will be delivered to warehouses in the Toronto area before being sent overseas.
The local effort is being co-ordinated by Ashraf Elashy, a member of the Muslim association’s board of directors.
Monetary donations can be sent by mail to the mosque, 192 Greenwich St., Brantford, N3S 2X6. Checks should be made out to the Muslim Association of Brantford and marked Turkey-Syria relief effort.
The association is hoping to raise $100,000 locally to support the efforts of INCA Relief Canada. ICNA, or Islamic Circle of North America, is a registered Canadian charity that provides humanitarian aid to victims of natural disasters. ICNA has already contributed $350,000 towards humanitarian aid.
The local humanitarian effort has already received a boost from Brantford pharmacist Anwar Dost, owner of Cenpro Pharmacy on Brant Avenue and vice-president of the Muslim association.
He has donated more than $50,000 worth of medical supplies, including syringes and swabs.
“It’s a natural disaster and we need to do everything we can to help out,” Dost said.
To learn more about ICNA, visit www.icnareliefcanada.ca/about-us.
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