A catastrophic 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on the morning of 6 February, with tremors felt throughout Greece, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Jordan and Cyprus. It has caused immense devastation as buildings collapsed atop sleeping residents and buried some beneath rubble, resulting in a reported 5,000 casualties. In addition, freezing temperatures contribute to the death toll and hinder rescue efforts. The UAE has sent Dhs50 million in humanitarian aid alongside search-and-rescue teams, while countries around the world are offering their support: France, Spain, Austria and Serbia are some that have dispatched rescue teams; Germany has delivered emergency generators, tents and water-treatment equipment; while Taiwan has sent rescue squads and 13 tonnes of equipment along with a $200,000 donation.
Time is running out. Hundreds still trapped under the rubble. Every second could mean saving a life. We appeal to all humanitarian organizations and international bodies to provide material support and assistance to organizations responding to this disaster.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/earthquake?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#earthquake</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Syria?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Syria</a> <a href="https://t.co/UlYkz0gSBz">pic.twitter.com/UlYkz0gSBz</a>
If you would like to help those that have been affected, you can donate to the following organisations if you are in the UAE:
