Fuel Relief Fund (FRF) volunteers have been on the ground in Turkey, distributing high-calorie coal to survivors of the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the region in the early morning hours of Monday, February 6th.
The FRF team has been operating in and around the cities of Kahramanmaraş and Gaziantep, where hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless in the aftermath of the disaster. Displaced survivors are relying on coal-powered stoves to heat their tents, boil water, and cook food.
FRF volunteers have also been visiting small villages in rural areas across the region, delivering life-saving fuel to families displaced by the earthquake. In our first week in the field, Fuel Relief Fund has distributed 100 tons of coal – benefitting an estimated 20,000 people in southern Turkey.
Veteran volunteer and FRF Team Leader Joe Lee writes from the field: We have been in Turkey for six days, living and operating in Gaziantep and Kahramanmaras. The extent of the damage is massive. So many people are homeless now – families are living in makeshift tents in every available park and empty lot. The nights are brutally cold. In Kahramanmaraş, the night time temperatures drop below freezing. There is so much need here, it seems endless.
Fuel Relief Fund’s work would not be possible without the generous support of donors. Every dollar received goes directly to the purchase of fuel for people in need.