Riyadh – Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, popularly known as KSrelief, raised millions through its ‘Sahem’ platform to aid the victims impacted by the devastating earthquake in Syria and Turkey.
According to Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, the supervisor general of KSrelief, donations from Saudi Arabia to the relief effort had already surpassed SR13 million ($3.5 million) before KSrelief made its formal fundraiser announcement.
By Wednesday night, a total of almost SR65.9 million had been given by tens of thousands of Saudi citizens and residents.
Early on Monday, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit parts of southeast Turkey, northwest Syria, and nearby regions. A few hours later, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake slammed the same locations. Tens of thousands of people have reportedly been hurt, and around 11,000 people died.
Aid workers have had a difficult time getting to the remote areas of both the countries for the past two days since the calamity. Rescuers have been sifting through debris with their own hands in various locations with the dwindling hope of discovering more survivors.
According to the International Rescue Committee, Turkiye’s Bab Al-Hawa, the only entry point for UN humanitarian aid into northern Syria, has reportedly been closed due to earthquake damage.
The closing of Bab Al-Hawa has made it even more difficult to send sufficient and prompt help to the most severely affected areas because the majority of aid entering Syria must travel through Damascus, which closely regulates its distribution to governorates.
More than 1,500 people have died and at least 4,200 have been injured in Idlib, according to Syria Civil Defense, better known as the White Helmets, and the number is likely to go up.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), rescuers must act quickly not merely to save lives but also to ensure that the injured survive in dangerous situations.
“We launched the national donation campaign and we appeal to donors, male and female, businessmen and individuals, to effectively contribute to alleviating the suffering of those affected by the earthquake in Syria and Turkiye”, Dr. Al-Rabeeah said. “I tell every donor that every riyal they give will go toward reducing the suffering of someone who has been hurt, whether they are hurt or broken, or they need to be rescued”.
You can donate using the Sahem platform or one of the many available options on the KSrelief website. Sahem only accepts monetary donations, and since KSrelief does not charge administrative fees, all donations go directly to the recipients.
Food packages are already being procured by KSrelief and sent to individuals in need. King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gave the organization the go-ahead to create a humanitarian corridor to provide supplies for food, shelter, health care, and logistics to Syria and Turkey on Tuesday.
Saad bin Nasser Al-Shathri, a member of the permanent committee of Ifta, the Council of Senior Scholars, and a consultant to the Royal Court, praised the Sahem campaign for its efforts to assist in addressing the enormous humanitarian needs in Turkey and Syria and reaffirmed that previous Saudi fundraising efforts had assisted numerous people and nations in need.
How to legally send donations to Turkey and Syria? Click Here To Read.
