The Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) and other Catholic agencies initiated emergency aid operations following the earthquakes that hit Syria and Turkey on Monday, Feb. 6.
As rescue workers continued to sift through the debris of collapsed buildings, the number of fatalities and injuries was expected to rise.
Relief Campaigns
In response to the horrific earthquake, the OSV News reported that the CNEWA seeks to provide bedding, clothing, diapers, food, medicine, and newborn formula to approximately 2,000 families in Syria's Aleppo and Hama districts.
Msgr. Peter I. Vaccari described his organization's efforts as "a preliminary response" to the disaster, which saw two large earthquakes impact southern Turkey and northern Syria within hours of one another.
CNEWA's campaign will also support the efforts of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which presently assists over 850 families in the Aleppo region through the vast network of parishes and schools maintained by local churches.
As mentioned, the society will receive blankets, food, mattresses, medicines, pillows, water, milk, newborn formula, and diapers through CNEWA.
The donations can be made online, over the phone, or by mail to the CNEWA headquarters.
Moreover, the Catholic Relief Services, the international relief and development arm of the United States Catholic Church, also accepts donations through its website.
The CRS is collaborating with Caritas Syria, Caritas Turkey, and Caritas Anatolia to provide housing for displaced victims, food, clean water, and hygiene items.
Deadliest Earthquake
The earthquakes in Turkey and Syria were considered to be among the deadliest and most destructive in recent history. As of Sunday, the death toll in the two countries exceeded 28,000, making the earthquakes the worst globally in more than a decade.
Monday at 4:17 a.m. local time, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the southern Turkish province of Kahramanmaras, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck more than 60 miles away hours later. Following both earthquakes, dozens of intense aftershocks occurred until Tuesday.
Thousands of structures were destroyed. In addition to the rising death toll, there have been reports of thousands of injuries.
This week, rescue professionals from around the world were on the ground looking through debris for signs of life; yet, amidst the massive destruction, aid had difficulty reaching certain destroyed villages.
About Catholic Near East Welfare Association
The CNEWA works in regions of the Middle East, Northeast Africa, India, and Eastern Europe where poverty, violence, and relocation destroy innocent lives.
CNEWA, a papal institution, provides finances to ensure that the Eastern churches and the dedicated religious sisters who administer clinics, schools, and other social services for the common good have the means to carry out their crucial work.
It helps them assist and protect families, the elderly, and the disabled. They finance programs that enhance Christian communities through pastoral care.
CNEWA is not a large international aid organization. However, in more than a dozen nations, with the help of good individuals, they assist all those in need, regardless of their religion.
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