People in Southport are being urged to do all you can to help people whose lives have been devastated by two huge earthquakes which have devastated Turkey.
Donations can be taken to the Diva restaurant at 215-219 Lord Street in Southport town centre. The venue is open 9am-5pm each day but phone calls can be made after that time with donations taken later if possible.
People are asked to bring in:
- New blankets
- Nappies
- Baby clothes
- Children’s clothes
- Phone chargers
The appeal is being organised by local business owners Ali Cakir, who owns Diva, and Gino Mendi, who owns Bistro Bar Med on Coronation Walk.
Ali Cakir said: We are collecting at Diva on Lord Street in Southport at the moment and are grateful for any donations.
“Everything that we receive we will take to a collection point in Liverpool, before everything is loaded up to be taken straight to Turkey.
“They need as much help as they can get right now. It is a desperately bad situation.
“Over 5,000 people have died already, they think it could rise to as many as 10,000 people.
“It is 10 cities that have been devastated by the earthquakes, not just one, so a huge rescue and humanitarian effort is needed.
“There are still hundreds of people under rubble waiting to be rescued. People have lost their homes, they have lost their possessions, they have lost everything.
“It is extremely cold in Turkey at the moment too – minus five degrees, minus six degrees, and snowing.
“Please do all you can to help us to help them.”
Ali left Turkey in 1998 but his parents, along with other family and friends, still live there. The news of the earthquakes came as a huge shock.
He said: “When we saw the news, it was one o’clock in the morning. We couldn’t sleep after that. We were waiting and waiting, hoping for some good news, but it just kept getting worse and worse.
“We have never seen anything like this happen before. The first earthquake was 7.8 on the Richter scale, which was then followed by a second earthquake.
“Thankfully my parents are ok but there are people suffering on an unimaginable scale.
“Please help us in any way you can.”
A three-month state of emergency has been declared in 10 provinces in Turkey worst-affected by the earthquakes which hit hardest in the south east of the country.
Rescuers in Turkey are battling heavy rain and snow as they race against the clock to find survivors of the earthquakes that first struck in the early hours of Monday.
The World Health Organization has warned the toll may rise dramatically as rescuers find more victims.
Thousands of children may be among the dead following the earthquake and aftershocks, the United Nations has said.
The country is full of the homeless – those who lost their homes and others too fearful of aftershocks to return.
Many left without shoes, coats and phone chargers. Temperatures are expected to drop below freezing later this week.
The 7.8 magnitude tremor struck at 4.17am (1.17 am GMT) on Monday.
A later tremor had a magnitude of 7.5.
- For more details please call Ali Cakir on 07876033368 or Gino Mendi on 07429137107.
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