Jersey Overseas Aid pledges £150k to Turkey-Syria earthquake appeal

Jersey Overseas Aid has pledged £150,000 to help earthquake survivors in Turkey and Syria.

More than 19,300 people have died following the world's deadliest earthquake that struck both countries on Monday 6 February.

The funds will go to The Red Cross and Crescent's Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal, taking the island's allocation to £350,000 following the £200,000 made to a pooled fund.

Jeremy Smith from the British Red Cross says: "We're really grateful for that, that financial assistance is helping us with the immediate response. Over 72 hours we're still finding people coming out of the rubble.

"One of our colleagues from the Lebanese Red Cross was deployed to Turkey on Monday night sent me a video just this afternoon of them pulling out a 70-year-old woman from the rubble, so that support is incredibly crucial."

Guernsey's Bailiff has announced he will open an appeal through the Disaster Relief Fund to channel monies raised locally to the Disaster Emergencies Committee.

A Jerseyman is heading to Turkey to try and find his relatives who have been missing since the earthquakes hit the area.

Cuma Dagilan has started a crowdfunding page in a bid to raise £20,000 to support the relief effort when he arrives.

Jersey’s Minister for International Development, Deputy Carolyn Labey, says: “Given the sheer scale and acuteness of needs, it is essential that the humanitarian response is coordinated and provides approved partners with the necessary resources to deliver life- saving assistance on the ground, quickly and effectively.

"Supporting The Red Cross and Crescent Movement complements our existing support of the hard to access region of Northern-Syria who are facing unimaginable hardship after more than a decade of civil war."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...