Major earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria on February 6th left nothing but destruction to thousands of communities throughout the countries. Last week, FBM® Foundation donated 16 thousand dollars to UNICEF and AKUT, charity organizations specialized in humanitarian relief operations, to help those in need.

Two weeks in after the devastating natural disaster that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria, charity organizations are having their hands full with emergency responses. The FBM® Foundation could not be indifferent to this complex situation and promptly responded with meaningful donations.

A big natural disaster and the relevance of quick humanitarian responses

In the early hours of February 6th, the Turkey-Syria border suffered the impact of a 7.8 magnitude-earthquake, followed by another nearly as damaging. While tens of thousands of people lost their lives, many others were injured or displaced from their homes, making it one of the biggest natural disasters the countries have faced yet.

According to United Nations, the incident occurred as the humanitarian crisis in Syria was at its highest level since the military conflict began, worsening the life conditions of these populations that were solely relying on humanitarian help on an already jeopardized region.

In order to properly answer this crisis with effective and efficient relief operations, monetary help is a key-factor for achieving quick results and save the highest number of lives possible. FBM® Foundation waited no longer to boost these initiatives with its financial support to be immediately applied on the field.

A first boost for fast recovery in a difficult scenario

Apart from the unsettling number of lives taken and immense grief left behind, the impact of the earthquakes in these regions also resulted in thousands of houses destroyed, leaving numerous families in contexts of homelessness.

In order to help mitigate the struggles of those directly affected by the incident, FBM® Foundation offered 11.000 dollars to UNICEF, in which each 55-dollar contribution equalled one emergency kit to aid the vulnerable groups. 

This social gesture was reinforced with the attribution of 5.000 dollars to AKUT that were later used to distribute food, clean water, blankets, medical supplies and other essential healthcare products and services. 

Vítor Francisco, Director of FBM Foundation, explains how economic support can be vital in emergency contexts: “When it comes to providing support to circumstances beyond one’s control such as the one that occurred in Turkey and Syria, making quick decisions that can be rapidly implemented is crucial to the success of relief operations, and financial support is one great example of how we can make a big impact in someone’s life in a short time”.

This solidarity action was conducted with the goal of helping with the recovery of those who suffered the consequences of this unexpected event, as well as with the reconstruction and rebuilding of the affected areas.