TURKEY 2021 WILDFIRES: What can I do to help?
Image Credıt: CNN
As you may have seen and read, Turkey has been devastated by a wave of out of control wildfires. As of August 3, 136,000 hectares (525 square miles) of land have burned, mostly in the southwestern part of the country bordering the Aegean sea. Families have been displaced and eight people have died, with hundreds more injured. Many people dependent on the land for farming and raising livestock have witnessed their livelihoods destroyed, and countless animals have perished from what is unequivocally one of the worst disasters the country has faced in recent history.
As heartbreaking as it is to witness this, there are ways we can help those impacted by the fires. I’ve left several links below to credible organizations providing various means of support in the disaster.
Please consider donating if you can, even if it’s only $5 — it goes a long way, especially in light of Turkey’s economic circumstances.
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TURKISH PHILANTHROPY FUNDS
Through its Turkey 2021 Wildfire Relief Fund, TPF aims to:
Provide food and emergency medical supplies to people and animals
Support temporary relief and emergency supplies for displaced families
Provide support to front-line workers, like volunteers of our partner organizations
Meet other needs that emerge
AHBAP
One of the major NGOs in Turkey, AHBAP is partnering with BP and Castrol Türkiye to support those affected by the wildfires. Support will be used to repair and meet the needs of families affected by the fires, support the medical treatment of injured animals, provide for the needs of gardening and provision of the needs of the families affected by the fires.
AKUT
AKUT is entirely a voluntary, non-governmental organization involved in searching, assisting and rescuing all who require aid within its authority and means, in mountain or other nature-related accidents, natural disasters and all other emergency conditions by means of trained, disciplined, high-standard personnel and equipment, passing on knowledge to society with no political affiliation.
AFET Platformu + İhtiyaç Haritası
Known as Disaster Platform in English, AFET is a non-governmental network formed by NGOs after the Elazig earthquake on January 24, 2020. They've partied with İhtiyaç Haritası to map out current needs regionally in southeastern Turkey.
HAYTAP
HAYTAP is one of the primary organizations in Turkey that advocates for the rights of animals. They are currently working around the clock to rescue and treat animals affected by the wildfires.