UAE residents can still support Turkey-Syria earthquake relief effort

Donations are still flooding in from across the Emirates and the world to help with the major rebuilding process

A young man walks past as diggers work to clean the rubble of collapsed buildings in Turkey in July, several months after a 7. 8-magnitude earthquake devastated the country and neighbouring Syria. AFP

People in the UAE can still pledge their support to crucial recovery efforts in Turkey and Syria – almost six months after devastating earthquakes rocked the region.

A powerful 7.8-magnitude quake struck near the Turkey-Syria border in the early hours of Monday, February 6.

It was followed by a second earthquake of similar strength soon after, with a series of aftershocks adding to the trail of destruction.

More than 58,000 people were killed in both countries, with many more injured. Thousands of homes were destroyed, leaving survivors at the mercy of harsh winter conditions.

Turkey-Syria earthquake aftermath – in pictures

A UAE donation drive launched in the aftermath of the disaster is continuing, with funds still required to support the painstaking rebuilding process in both countries.

In April, an Emirati ship containing more than 2,000 tonnes of aid arrived in Syria to support relief efforts.

It included 1,040 tonnes of food, 600 tonnes of relief and medical assistance and a further 573 tonnes of building materials.

The Emirates previously sent 1,000 tonnes of aid to Syria in March.

How to donate in the UAE

The public is invited to provide financial assistance to those in need by using the website of Emirates Red Crescent, the humanitarian arm of the government, as part of the Bridges of Giving campaign.

People have the option to donate to relief efforts in Syria and Turkey via PayPal, credit card, bank transfer or by text message.

Once donations have been received, an invoice from Emirates Red Crescent will confirm your contribution.

People can donate to Syria relief here and to Turkey relief here.

People can also make financial pledges to the cause via the Sharjah Charity International website.

The donation pages were set up as part of a major humanitarian drive in the Emirates following the disaster.

Thousands of volunteers turned out in force at a series of events held across the country to help pack relief aid bound for both countries.

Global fund-raising drive

Contributions to the UK's earthquake appeal for Turkey and Syria have topped £150 million ($191 million).

Donations have reached £151.8 million, which includes £5 million matched by the UK government through the Aid Match scheme, the Disasters Emergency Committee announced.

The appeal is the third largest in the 60-year history of the DEC, an umbrella group of UK charities coordinating major fund-raising responses.

In the first three months of the DEC campaign across Turkey and Syria, 40,300 households received cash or voucher payments to help meet their basic needs, 427,000 people were provided with access to safe drinking water, 201,000 received emergency food or a voucher for food, 48,200 gained access to health services such as mobile clinics, medical kits and free medication.

The UN offers a wide variety of ways to support millions of people who have been impacted.

These include UN Crisis Relief, which supports humanitarian efforts, the UN World Food Programme, the UN Refugee Agency and Unicef.

For more information on how to donate to the various UN-led projects, visit here.