There is great horror and sadness about the terrible effects of the earthquake that shook the border region between Turkey and Syria. But the willingness to help is just as great: private individuals, associations and municipalities in the district of Munich have launched campaigns to help those affected in the earthquake areas.
On Monday afternoon, when the first news about the devastating tremors arrived, Hasan Celik and friends decided to start a collection campaign for the affected areas in Turkey. The chairman of the Türk Sport Garching football club is an expert in logistics issues and has been working for a forwarding company for almost 30 years. According to him, the team of volunteers has been able to send six trucks with relief supplies on the approximately 3,500 to 4,000-kilometer journey since Monday. Three more are planned for Thursday.
One is now in close consultation with the Turkish consulate and the local organizations to clarify exactly what is needed, says Celik. These are mainly baby items such as diapers and powdered food, hygiene items, flashlights, power generators, but also canned goods. Winter clothing may only be handed in new and ideally packed in labeled moving boxes, otherwise the effort of sorting on site would be too high.
After the volunteers initially used a car dealership as a collection point, which became too small, goods donated by people from the region are collected in a 2,500 square meter hall in Neufahrn. The willingness to help is great. “Around 60 to 80 volunteers are currently working and sorting in our warehouse,” says Celik. And tirelessly. It can also be heard from Celik himself that he hasn’t slept much lately. “We’re doing everything we can,” he says. “The situation is extreme.” The group has also set up a donation account. The money collected will be used to rent more trucks and finance purchases.
Donations are collected in a hall at the Taufkirchen S-Bahn station
The Anton Schrobenhauser Foundation “Kids to Life” from Unterhaching, which has been involved in the border region between Syria and Turkey for ten years, also wants to use its contacts and delivery structures to provide emergency aid in both countries. Aynur Gündüz from the foundation’s management writes that vital relief supplies such as food and blankets will be brought to the crisis region. The foundation is asking for donations for this purpose.
The municipality of Taufkirchen has meanwhile made an approximately 1000 square meter hall at the S-Bahn station available to earthquake workers as a collection point. There, associations and volunteers organize the collection of relief supplies under the direction of the Türkgücü Munich association. Donations packed in sturdy moving boxes can be handed in there on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Above all, baby diapers and baby food, sleeping bags, blankets, thermos flasks and flashlights including batteries are needed.
Talat Sürmeli comes from the earthquake region, on Saturday the CSU local council from Brunnthal wants to fly there to help.
(Photo: Claus Schunk)
Talat Sürmeli from Brunnthal also spontaneously started a private aid campaign. The CSU local council came to Brunnthal in 1976 as a primary school child. He himself comes from Adana, which was badly hit by the earthquake, and has many friends and acquaintances there. His 85-year-old uncle only spends the night in the car, Sürmeli said on Wednesday evening in the Brunnthal municipal council. Sürmeli wants to fly to Turkey with his wife on Saturday and personally hand over the donations. A good friend who is a doctor, he says, died of a heart attack after working non-stop for three days to provide medical care to victims.