Survivors of the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria will be receiving vital emergency supplies thanks to a £60,000 grant from Freemasons from across the country, to the British Red Cross, UK for UNHCR and UNICEF who are leading the relief effort on the ground.
More than 16,000 people are confirmed to have died in the two quakes which have devastated large areas of south west Turkey and across the border in Syria. The death toll is certain to rise significantly as more bodies are found.
Tens of thousands of survivors are sleeping in the open in temperatures which have fallen well below zero. Snow is falling in some parts as the region experiences colder than average winter weather that is also hampering rescue efforts.
Damage from the quake has affected at least seven provinces in Turkey as well as across northwest Syria. Thousands of homes have been destroyed, displacing families, and schools, hospitals, and other medical and educational facilities will have been damaged or destroyed by the quakes. Potential damage to roads and critical infrastructure will also complicate search and rescue efforts and the wider humanitarian response.
The grant comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales.
Luke Tredget, Head of Emergencies from the British Red Cross, said: “We’re very grateful for this generous grant which will allow us to provide immediate emergency relief to people who are in desperate need. This disaster has devastated vast areas of both countries and left millions of people in urgent need of help.”
Cambridgeshire Freemason David Cameron, said: “I’m very pleased we’ve been able to help the Red Cross, UNICEF and the UNHCR with their relief effort following this terrible earthquake. Many thousands of people are in very urgent need of assistance and I’m proud that Freemasons are providing essential support to charities on the ground working with survivors.”
For further information on the British Red Cross, please contact Owen Duffy on 07709 502 864 (OwenDuffy@redcross.org.uk)
About the British Red Cross
For over 150 years, the British Red Cross has helped people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are. We are part of a global voluntary network, responding to conflicts, natural disasters and individual emergencies. We enable vulnerable people in the UK and abroad to prepare for and withstand emergencies in their own communities. And when the crisis is over, we help them recover and move on with their lives. www.redcross.org.uk
For further information about UK for UNHCR, please contact Sara Guy, PR Manager, sguy@unrefugees.org.uk, 0208 183 0121.
About UK for UNHCR
UK for UNHCR is the UN Refugee Agency’s national partner for the UK, building solidarity, fostering partnerships and raising funds in the UK to help deliver global humanitarian relief for refugees through UNHCR’s work. www.unrefugees.org.uk UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, leads international action to protect people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. It delivers life-saving assistance like shelter, food and water, helps safeguard funda mental human rights, and develops solutions that ensure people have a safe place to call home where they can build a better future. UNHCR also works to ensure that stateless people are granted a nationality. www.unhcr.org UK for UNHCR is a registered charity in England and Wales (registered charity number 1183415).
For further information about UNICEF UK, please contact: Talia Francis-McKenzie, Senior Media & Communications
Manager, Partnerships (www.unicef.org.uk | TaliaFM@unicef.org.uk | @unicef_uk Tel: + 44 (0)7534 920 703
About UNICEF UK
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) raises funds for UNICEF’s emergency and development work for children. We also promote and protect children’s rights in the UK and internationally. We are a UK charity, entirely funded by supporters. United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK), Registered Charity No. 1072612 (England & Wales), SC043677 (Scotland). For more information visit unicef.org.uk. Follow UNICEF UK on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube. For further information about the Masonic Charitable Foundation, please contact Guy Roberts, Press Officer (groberts@mcf.org.uk |0203 146 3311)
About the Masonic Charitable Foundation
The Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) is one of the largest grant-making charities in the country. Funded entirely through the generosity of Freemasons and their families, the MCF awards millions of pounds each year to local and national charities that help vulnerable people, advance medical research and provide opportunities for young people. The MCF also helps to fund vital services such as hospices and air ambulances and regularly contributes to worldwide appeals for disaster relief. In total, MCF support helps to improve the lives of thousands of people every year in England, Wales and internationally. As well as providing grants to charities, the MCF supports Freemasons and their families with a financial, health or family need. Visit www.mcf.org.uk
