Taiwanese charity continues aid efforts in quake-hit southern Türkiye

By Firat Ozdemir and Mehmet Akif Parlak

GAZIANTEP, Türkiye (AA) — A Taiwanese charity continues to aid earthquake survivors in southern Türkiye, where devastating tremors struck last month.

Speaking to Anadolu, the Tzu Chi Foundation's Türkiye representative, Faysal Hu, said the relief group was the largest in Taiwan with around 11 million members in 92 countries.

"The majority of the benefactors are in Taiwan. We are taking to the streets with our 11 million members for the earthquake in Türkiye and we are raising money for the earthquake victims because we want to share the love," he said.

Following the Feb. 6 tremors, Tzu Chi provided aid for the first time in Türkiye since 1999, when a powerful earthquake hit the country's northwestern Golcuk area, said the foundation's representative. He added: "Türkiye suffered a great disaster on Feb. 6. People lost everything overnight. We need to help our brothers. In the first week of the earthquake, we came to the earthquake zone with a team of 10 people."

"My wife Nadya Chou and I visited Hatay, Kilis and Gaziantep's Nurdagi and Islahiye districts. I realized that 40,000 families in these regions should be helped," he said.

"Shopping cards worth 73 million TL (Turkish liras) (over $3.8 million) were given to nearly 7,000 families, and blankets were also given. There's $25 million for this emergency. Only 7,000 families were given aid, there are more than 30,000 families ahead of us."

He added that the foundation also wanted to help in the construction of new homes for earthquake victims.