Despite rising costs, Canadians giving to Red Cross Turkey relief efforts in droves

While search and rescue efforts continue in Turkey and Syria, Canadians have been doing what they can in terms of donating to aid relief.

The death toll continues to climb in the Middle East following the devastating earthquake last week. As of Wednesday, the quake had claimed the lives of over 40,000 people and flattened thousands of buildings.

Breanne England, head of Middle East North Africa for the Red Cross says they are doing what they can, not only with search and rescue but in other ways as well.

“To try and meet the humanitarian needs of these people who have just lost their homes, their livelihoods, their family members. Do they have clean food? Do they have warm food in these temperatures? Do they have clean water? Do they have access to sanitation? Are any of them out in the streets and they’re exposed to the elements?” she explained.

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England notes Canadians have strong ties to the affected areas, with many loved ones residing in Turkey and Syria.

“Syria and Turkey are very close to home to many people in Canada, even though it’s far geographically,” she said. “We have a lot of individuals in Canada who have family ties or connections, but even for those Canadians who may not have ties, they open their homes and provided support to the Syrian refugees that were coming to Canada.”

The Feb. 7 earthquake has also sent local search and rescue teams to the affected areas, with the 10-person Burnaby Urban Search and Rescue team, comprised of mostly first responders from the city’s fire department, flying to Turkey with the blessing of the country’s government last week.

That team is now on Canadian soil, but one responder says the devastation of the quake was far worse than the disaster he responded to in Nepal in 2015.

The Canadian government pledged $10 million in aid soon after the quakes, and collection campaigns for food, clothing, and monetary donations soon popped up in multiple Canadian cities.

England says the Red Cross does encourage people to donate financially, and it “allows the people on the ground to elect to respond with the needs that are required.”

“They’re mostly for the people they’re serving, and to get paid as quickly as possible to those people,” she said.

-With files from The Canadian Press and Mike Gazzola