The Turkish community in Canada has mobilized to send much-needed supplies to Türkiye’s earthquake-hit regions under the coordination of the country’s Consulate. At the same time, some mobile networks announced they would waive some fees to make calls to Türkiye and Syria.
Devastated by the news of the disaster, thousands of Turkish-Canadians headed to drop-off locations in various cities, including Toronto, Oakville, Hamilton, Montreal, Vancouver and Ottawa, as well as warehouses in North York and Mississauga, to donate a vast list of unused goods, including sleeping bags, winter clothes, non-perishable foods, first aid kits, gloves, blankets, diapers, sanitary supplies and more.
The collected aid is coordinated with the Turkish Consulate and is transferred to Türkiye with the daily Turkish Airlines flights from various Canadian cities to Istanbul. Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) will distribute the supplies to those in need in the quake areas.
Tens of dedicated volunteers work until as late as 1 a.m. to sort through the donations and pack them to ensure that the earthquake survivors receive them as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Telus and Koodo announced they’re waiving all long-distance and roaming charges, including calls and texts to and from Türkiye and Syria, following the catastrophic quakes.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that his government would match all donations made to Red Cross Canada for Türkiye and Syria relief efforts between Feb. 6 and 22, up to CAD10 million.
Canadian minister of international development, Harjit Sajjan, announced that Ottawa provides CAD10 million in humanitarian assistance for medical services, food, shelter and other essential items. He also said the Canadian Disaster Assessment Team (CDAT) is heading to Türkiye.
"Canadians are deeply saddened by the loss of life and terrible destruction caused by the earthquakes. Our initial response will go toward meeting the immediate, most urgent needs of those impacted by these devastating events. We also continue looking at ways to support those affected during these difficult times."