On February 6, 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit Turkey and Syria. It happened during the early hours and a series of aftershocks followed. Thousands of people have been killed, buildings flattened to the ground, and infrastructure and entire cities are devastated. Survivors are in dire need of food, water, basic necessities, and shelter amid freezing winter conditions. Rescuers and emergency crews are working day and night in the hope of finding survivors.
Help is needed and donations, whether big or small matter. Here is a list of humanitarian organisations and charities that you can donate to help the victims in Turkey and Syria.
Turkish Red Crescent (Red Cross Affiliate)
The Turkish Red Crescent’s mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity in Türkiye and around the world. They are a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent movement.
Click here to donate.
Syrian Red Crescent (Red Cross Affiliate)
The Syrian Red Crescent is a non-profit organization inclusive of 14 branches all around Syria. For 79 years, they have been committed to provide domestic relief and help people in need.
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International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
The IFRC is the world’s largest humanitarian network, comprising 192 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies working to save lives, build community resilience, strengthen localization and promote dignity around the world.
Click here to donate.
Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)
The Disasters Emergency Committee brings together 15 leading UK aid charities, raising funds to quickly and effectively respond to overseas disasters.
Click here to donate.
Doctors Without Borders
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) offers medical humanitarian assistance to people based solely on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender, or political affiliation. Our teams of doctors, nurses, logisticians, and other frontline workers are often among the first on the scene when people’s lives are upended by conflict, disease outbreaks, or natural or human-made disasters.
Click here to donate.
Union Of Medical Relief & Care Organizations
UOSSM USA (Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations-USA), is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) charitable, independent, non-government, medical humanitarian organization, incorporated in the state of Texas. UOSSM USA was founded by healthcare professionals to provide lifesaving medical humanitarian relief and access to quality healthcare and mental health services to people most in need and communities affected by crises, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, or political affiliation.
Click here to donate.
The White Helmets
The White Helmets are a humanitarian aid organisation that operates in rebel-controlled areas of Syria.
Click here to donate.
Caritas
Caritas Internationalis is confederation of over 160 members who are working at the grassroots in almost every country of the world. When a crisis hits, Caritas is already on the ground. The diverse members give us our strength – from small groups of volunteers to some of the biggest global charities. Inspired by Catholic faith, Caritas is the helping hand of the Church – reaching out to the poor, vulnerable and excluded, regardless of race or religion, to build a world based on justice and fraternal love.
Click here to donate.
International Blue Crescent Relief and Development Foundation
IBC strives to alleviate human suffering regardless of nationality, ethnicity, race, color, social origin, religion, belief, language, political opinion, gender, age, and sexual orientation, genetic and physical features.
Click here to donate.
CARE
CARE works around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty and achieve social justice. We seek a world of hope, inclusion and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and all people live with dignity and security.
Click here to donate.
Other organizations helping earthquake victims
- ActionAid
- Airlink
- Americares
- American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)
- CARE
- DirectRelief
- Food for the Hungry
- Global Impact
- Humanity & Inclusion
- International Medical Corps
- Islamic Relief USA
- Jesuit Refugee Service
- Mercy Corps
- Oxfam
- UN World Food Program USA
- UNICEF USA
- World Vision
When donating to charities, please keep the following in mind:
- Donate only to reputable and registered charities.
- Never provide your bank account information, personal details or other details without verifying the organisation collecting donations
- Keep a record of your donations. Make sure to get a receipt or email confirming your donation for record-keeping and tax purposes.
Here are other possible ways to help (Source: r/Turkey)
International Accounts for Money Transfer
| Organization / Charity | Bank Info | IBAN (EUR) | IBAN (USD) | Account No / Routing No | SWIFT | Extra Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkish Red Crescent | Ziraat Bank International | DE26 5122 0700 1080 0000 01 | – | – | TCZBDEFF | NGO, part of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, accused of being corrupt |
| Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency | T.C. Ziraat Bankası | TR19 0001 0017 4555 5555 5552 06 | TR46 0001 0017 4555 5555 5552 05 | – | TCZBTR2A | Govermental Organization, widely critized for being slow and not organizing efforts to rescue |
| Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency | Türkiye İş Bankası | TR19 0006 4000 0024 2992 5862 85 | TR09 0006 4000 0024 2992 5862 71 | – | ISBKTRIS | Govermental Organization, widely critized for being slow and not organizing efforts to rescue |
| Turkish Embassy DC | No longer accepting money (?) | – | – | – | – | Govermental Organization, accepting item donations |
| Turkish Embassy in Australia | Commonwealth Bank of Australia | – | – | BSB: 062-900 / Account: 1123 8493 | CTBAAU2S | Govermental Organization |
| Turkish Embassy-New Delhi | RBL Bank | – | – | Account no: 409001919272 / IFSC C: RATN0000400 | – | Govermental Organization |
Non-Governmental Organizations
| Organization / Charity | Bank Info | IBAN (EUR) | IBAN (USD) | IBAN (GBP) | SWIFT | Extra Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahbap Derneği | Türkiye İş Bankası | TR15 0006 4000 0021 0212 1502 77 | TR32 0006 4000 0021 0212 1502 62 | TR37 0006 4000 0021 0212 2608 49 | ISBKTRIS | NGO, focuses on humanitarian aid |
| AKUT – Arama Kurtarma Derneği | Türkiye İş Bankası | TR12 0006 4000 0021 0806 6661 44 | TR48 0006 4000 0021 0806 6666 60 | – | ISBKTRIS | NGO, Search and Rescue focus |
| AKUT – Arama Kurtarma Derneği | QNB Finansbank | TR66 0011 1000 0000 0032 4941 26 | TR82 0011 1000 0000 0032 4941 29 | – | FNNBTRIS | NGO, Search and Rescue focus |
| Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft (BEH) & Aktion Deutschland Hilft (ADH) | Commerzbank | DE53 200 400 600 200 400 600 | – | – | COBADEFF | NGO, see website for alternative payment options (German) |
International Funds or Organizations
| Organization / Charity | Link | Credit Card | Paypal | Alternative Payment | Info | Extra Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkish Red Crescent | Donate to Turkish Red Crescent | Yes | – | Direct Payment, Postal Payment, In-App Payment (Android, IOS) | NGO, part of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, accused of being corrupt | Turkey |
| International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement | Donate Now | Yes | – | – | NGO | Uses Swiss Francs |
| Ahbap Platform | Official Website | Yes | – | Direct Payment | NGO, focuses on humanitarian aid | Turkey |
| Ahbap Platform | GoFundMe | Yes | Yes | Direct Payment | NGO, focuses on humanitarian aid | Turkey |
| Hasan Abi For Turkey | Events Softgiving | Yes | Yes | – | Fundraiser by Turkish-American streamer HasanAbi | Donations go to Donations go to CARE Turkey, CARE Syria, AKUT & Ahbap via Givinga Foundation |
| American Turkish Association of Washington D.C. | Fundraiser | Yes | Yes | – | NGO, Fundraiser via Turkish Philanthropy Funds | USA |
| Association of Turkish Americans of Southern California | Link | – | Yes | Zelle | NGO | USA |
| British Red Cross | Donate Red Cross | Yes | Yes | – | NGO, part of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement | UK |
| German Red Cross | DRK | Yes | Yes | Amazon Pay, SEPA, Sofort | NGO, part of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement | Germany |
| French Red Cross | Donner Croix-Rouge | Yes | Yes | Direct Payment | NGO, part of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement | France |
| Lithuanian Red Cross | Lietuvos Raudonojo Kryžiaus | Yes | – | Direct Payment, SMS | NGO, part of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement | |
| Oxfam Australia | Donate Oxfam | Yes | – | – | NGO | Australia |
| Oxfam New Zealand | Donate Oxfam | Yes | – | – | NGO | New Zealand |
| Turkish Philanthropy Funds | Donate TPFUND | Yes | Yes | – | NGO | USA |
| Bridge to Turkiye | Bridge to Turkiye | Yes | – | Direct Payment | Fundraiser to help Ahbap Platform | USA |
| Humanity & Inclusion | HI – US | Yes | Yes | Google Pay | Fundraiser focuses on mental health and rehabilitation | USA |
| DITIB – Türkisch-Islamische Union der Anstalt für Religion | DITIB | Yes | Yes | SEPA | NGO, connected to Turkish Directorate of Religious Affairs | Germany |
| Turkiye Earthquake Relief Fund | Youtube Video (Fundraiser) | Yes | – | – | Youtube Campaign, Turkish Philanthropy Funds | |
| Islamic Relief USA | Donate Now | Yes | – | Direct Payment | NGO | USA |
| Muslim Hands UK | Donate Now | Yes | – | – | NGO | UK |
| International Development and Relief Foundation | IDRF.ca Donate | Yes | – | – | NGO | Canada |
| Veterinarians without Borders | Donate here | Yes | – | Tax deductable | NGO, pet focus, HAYTAP collaborator | Canada |
| Molham Volunteering Team | Campaign Donate | Yes | – | – | NGO | Jordan |
Cryptocoin Donations
| Organization / Charity | ERC20 Wallet | BEP20 Wallet | Avalanche Wallet | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahbap | 0xe1935271D1993434A1a59fE08f24891Dc5F398Cd | 0xB67705398fEd380a1CE02e77095fed64f8aCe463 | 0x868D27c361682462536DfE361f2e20B3A6f4dDD8 | NGO, focuses on humanitarian aid |
Alternative and a longer list of organizations/fundraisers created by BOYUT (Boğaziçi Graduates) can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fqwYTrk0ZlQ6-f1Jzh7MbXvZEw2EZKxK8UIpeYya_TA/edit#
Before making a donation, you can also check Charity Watch for further information and verification on your chosen charity.
This post has been updated to include other international funds and organisations.
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