Rescuers on standby for Turkey

A SPECIALIST team based in Henley is on standby to help in aftermath of the Turkey-Syria earthquake.

Emergency Response Team Search and Rescue chief Gary Foo is in talks with both the United Nations and World Health Organisation about how it can help.

Trustee and secretary Paul Giles is to co-ordinate aid and support.

Two firefighters from the urban search and rescue section used to rescue people from collapsed buildings are also liaising with the authorities. 

Two catastrophic earthquakes caused widespread destruction in Turkey and Syria on Monday. At least 11,200 people have died.

Pangbourne Rotary Club has pledged £1,000 to the relief effort, which includes some of the proceeds from last month’s Woodcote 10km, which it organises, and other fundraisers.

Deo Bikale, the club’s international team leader, will work with Rotary clubs in Turkey to determine the quickest way to transfer the money.

Meanwhile, a Turkish couple who run a café in Wargrave have put out an urgent appeal for donations to help victims of the recent earthquakes in Turkey.

Cansel and Deniz San, the owners of Daisy Love Café on High Street, are Turkish citizens and have friends and family members in the affected areas. Mrs San is from Elbistan, a city that has been badly impacted by the earthquakes.

Mr San said: “She grew up there. She knows many people there. Some of them have passed away, some are missing.

“We are trying to do something for these people, our people. It is a bad situation. When I see these images, it’s horrible. Lots of people are homeless, some can’t find their relatives, they can’t find their kids. Some kids don’t have parents.”

“We are trying to do something. We have already got some food and clothes. We will take them all to London on Sunday.”

Mr and Mrs San are joining with Turkish communities in the Thames Valley and London to send supplies directly to the region.

The shipments are being organised by Elbistan Community Centre, a registered charity based in North London, and Turkish logistics companies are making their vehicles available for the relief effort.

The items urgently needed are: adult and child coats, boots, warm hats, jumpers, trousers, gloves, scarves, socks,
blankets and sleeping bags, flasks, torches (without batteries), nappies, sanitary pads, cleaning products, tinned food, new packs of AA or AAA batteries, portable mobile phone charging packs for iPhone or Android, tents (only those with poles, not inflatables)

All items of clothing and sleeping bags must be clean and in good condition or new. They should also be boxed and ready to send, to help speed up the process of making them ready to ship.

Items must be brought to Daisy Love café by 4pm on Saturday, February 11.

Financial donations can also be made to the charity for earthquake victims.

Elbistan Community Centre
Sort Code: 20-76-90
Account Number: 33 94 94 19
Reference: Earthquake