The impact of the devastating earthquake that struck on Monday, February 6 near Gaziantep, Turkey is overwhelming and truly catastrophic. Unfortunately, on February 20, another 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border. The earthquakes have left a trail of death and destruction in cities across southern Turkey and northern Syria. The death toll is nearing 50,000 as of February 22. Earthquake survivors need food, water, shelter, medical care, and warmth as it is still winter.
Please continue to pray for the survivors of the earthquakes, for those grieving the loss of friends and family, for the responders and search and rescue teams, for the country leaders, for the ministries serving through this crisis, for the needed relief supplies to be available, and for the generosity of the world to help.
The most expedient way to give is direct to FPC’s global partners that serve in the regions impacted, ensuring that the funds get there as quickly as possible. If you would like to give through FPC, please note that gifts designated for earthquake relief will be directed to the Strategic Resource Group (SRG). Contributions to Outreach Foundation, Millennium Relief and Development (MRDS) or Every Shelter can be made directly to those partners via the links provided below.
If you would like to give to this immense recovery effort, please read more about how the following four FPC global partners are responding:
Every Shelter:
One of FPC’s newer mission partners, Every Shelter is responding to the crisis in Turkey/Syria with their shelter flooring product, Emergency Floor which was originally funded through FPC’s Project Flourish. In 2020 Every Shelter moved the manufacturing of their Emergency Floors to Turkey to more affordably and effectively respond to aid displaced Syrians. They have begun production of 1,500 tiles (760m2) per week until they run out of funds to do so. Their partners in Turkey will distribute them to families in need as a part of their relief ministry efforts there. You can give directly to Every Shelter for the emergency flooring project, via the Every Shelter Emergency Floor web page.
SRG:
With 24 ministry partners in Turkey and more in Lebanon and Syria, SRG ministry partners are responding with urgency. Several FPC global partners also partner with SRG including Jossour-Bridges of Hope and KDEC, and friend of FPC, HORIZONS, and First Hope Association (FHA) in Turkey. FHC is uniquely capable of responding to natural disasters with multiple mobile hygiene trailers equipped with toilets, showers, washing machines, and a mobile cooking unit. As of day two, FHA reports that they are now in Antakya with three of their trailers with another is on its way.
To support the earthquake relief efforts of SRG, gifts can be made to FPC. To designate your gift to earthquake relief efforts, please type “earthquake” in the memo field. Gifts can also be made to SRG through National Christian Foundation (NCF) if you already give through their organization.
MRDS:
Millennium Relief and Development is a long-time partner of FPC we have directed gifts to for other global disasters. Millennium’s local partner in Turkey, First Hope Association/ilkUmutDernegi (in Turkish), is on the ground, joining search and rescue efforts and mobilizing their emergency vehicles to provide essential services to the displaced. MRDS partners with First Hope Association and has described them as “like-minded” Turks with a long track record in relief efforts. You can give directly to MRDS via the MRDS website and mail a gift to the following address:
Millennium RDS, Inc.
5233 Bellaire Blvd. Ste B-358
Bellaire, TX 77401
Outreach Foundation:
The Outreach Foundation’s mission is to engage followers of Christ for work in the world. They come alongside churches and leaders of the global church to help build the capacity of the global church, especially where the church is vulnerable or growing rapidly. The Outreach Foundation has partnerships that are deeply relational in the regions hardest hit by the earthquake. If you would like to support the churches in the region and provide much-needed help, gifts can be made directly to the Outreach Foundation website or you can send a gift to the following address:
The Outreach Foundation
381 Riverside Drive, Suite 465
Franklin, TN 37064
Please designate your gift to: Middle East Earthquake Relief Emergency Appeal.
