EBRD, employees raise over $795,000 for Türkiye's quake victims
The headquarters of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is seen in London, Britain, Nov. 22, 2016. (Reuters Photo)


The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and its staff have pledged to donate 750,000 euros (about $795,000) to earthquake victims in southern Türkiye Thursday.

A group of EBRD employees launched the ongoing community initiative to help the region home to over 13 million people and was hit by back-to-back quakes earlier this month.

The fundraiser has already reached over 250,000 euros, with the donation page still open as of Thursday. According to information on the donation page, the EBRD Community Initiative vowed to donate double the amount given by staff up to a limit of 500,000 euros from the Community Special Fund, for over 750,000 euros.

Set to go through civil society organizations, the funds will meet priority needs in the disaster zone.

The death toll from the powerful Feb. 6 earthquakes has risen to 43,556 as of Wednesday.

The powerful quakes were centered in Kahramanmaras and shook 10 other provinces – Hatay, Gaziantep, Adıyaman, Malatya, Adana, Diyarbakır, Kilis, Osmaniye, Şanlıurfa and Elazığ.