How kind Sun readers’ £1million donations are making a difference to earthquake survivors in Turkey and Syria
HIS home is now a rough-and-ready campsite on freezing waste ground in a southern Turkish city.
But at least four-year-old Murat Bulut is alive – and thousands of survivors like him are being helped by aid YOU paid for.
His home in Gaziantep was destroyed as earthquakes devastated Turkey and Syria three weeks ago.
More than 47,000 people died and five million were left homeless as ten cities were hit by the worst disaster in 100 years.
The Sun immediately launched our Earthquake Appeal, with all the money donated to the Red Cross.
We were backed by thousands of readers and some of Britain’s biggest firms and £1million was raised in less than a week.
To donate, visit redcross.org.uk/sunaid
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Sun readers have responded by doing what the British people do best – reaching out to help those in need.
“The Sun’s campaign will make a huge difference to people who’ve lost everything.”
Red Cross staff and volunteers have been providing hot food, water and shelter to survivors in temperatures as low as –7C.
In the past week, the Turkish Red Crescent set up kitchens and served 80million meals and distributed 30,000 blankets and more than 2,000 tents.
The Syrian Arab Red Crescent has handed out 5,000 mattresses and 9,000 blankets as well as receiving 60 tonnes of food and medical supplies from the Iraqi Red Crescent Society.
Our appeal total now stands at £1.4million but more money is needed to continue supporting vital humanitarian work.
Today we say “thank you” for your generous support – and show how your money is making a huge difference.
Sainsbury's: £250,000
WE are incredibly moved and saddened to hear of the catastrophic earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
To help, we are donating £250,000 to The Sun’s Appeal supporting the British Red Cross, and a further £250,000 to Comic Relief.
This money will go towards providing urgent and essential support for people on the ground right now.
Simon Roberts, CEO
Tesco: £100,000
OUR thoughts are with all the people affected by the devastating earthquake.
Tesco fully supports this appeal by The Sun and has committed to donate £100,000 to support the essential relief efforts of the British Red Cross.
Jason Tarry, UK CEO
Iceland: £50,000
THE whole team at Iceland Foods have watched the devastating impact of the earthquake, and all our thoughts are with those who have been affected.
We felt compelled to help.
Richard Walker Chairman, Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation
Morrisons: £20,000
THIS is a terrible and shocking tragedy and we are determined to help in every way we can.
Morrisons is very pleased to support The Sun’s Earthquake Appeal.
David Potts, CEO
‘JUST HAPPY WE’RE SAFE’
By Oliver Harvey, Chief Feature Writer
Pictures by Peter Jordan in Pazarcik, Turkey
IN a bleak tented village at Turkey’s earthquake epicentre, little Cinar Nacar gladly gulps down a well-needed drink from Red Crescent volunteer Anastasia Ozdemir.
Later, the three-year-old is happy to bounce on the charity worker’s knee as she wipes away quake dust from his cherubic features.
Toddler Cinar — and 60,000 hungry and destitute others here in the remote town of Pazarcik — are being fed thanks to the kindness of others, including donations from The Sun’s £1.4million Earthquake Appeal.
Local governor Vesel Taz tells me: “The Red Crescent is doing a great job and thank you to The Sun for its Earthquake Appeal.
“Your readers who have donated even the smallest amount should know how helpful it is for us here.”
Cinar — and his parents and four siblings Gunes, 11, Ceylon, seven, five-year-old Berat and one-year-old Yusuf — are living under canvas in the town’s football stadium.
The disaster claimed the lives of some of the children’s teachers, and mum Berna, 29, says: “I have no idea when the children will be back at school.
“We’d love to go home, but it has huge cracks and isn’t safe.
“At the moment I’m just happy we’re all safe and together.
“I’m grateful to the Red Crescent for doing all they can.”
Volunteer Anastasia, 40, says: “It breaks my heart to see these poor children living like this.
“We are making sure they get some treats as well as good cooked meals three times a day.”
Her husband Fikret, a celebrity chef in Turkey, who has also volunteered with the Red Crescent, adds: “There are no shops open in Pazarcik after the earthquake.
“So the Red Crescent is feeding people in the hospitals, people in tents and people in the street.”
Fikret, 52, is preparing vast vats of chickpea soup which is served with rice, crusty bread and kiwi fruit at feeding stations dotted around the town.
Local Red Crescent manager Onur Beyazyesil, 35, says the charity is feeding 60,000 people a day in the wider area.
He adds: “We’re going out into remote villages making sure people have food and hygiene kits.”
And in response to Sun readers’ donations, he says: “We are very thankful, it allows us to do this vital work.”
Nobody needs The Sun’s £1.4million donation more than Pazarcik’s 30,000 inhabitants.
The massive series of quakes — beginning with a 7.8 tremor on February 6 which was felt as far away as Greenland — damaged or destroyed most of the homes here.
Strewn rubble from smashed homes blocks streets, and many apartments have collapsed.
Survivors sleep in family cars or under canvas by the roadside — or, like the Nacars, at the town’s football stadium.
Queuing for his lunch at a Red Crescent food station in the town’s prefecture building, governor Vesel, 67, continues: “Pazarcik is worse than a war zone.
“Around 80 per cent of the buildings in the town are destroyed or damaged.”
Red Crescent volunteer Eren Erturk, whose usual job is at a nearby Ford car factory, is handing out lunch trays at the administrative building which is riven with large cracks.
Eren, 23, says: “I’m happy to help out — it gives us volunteers a warm feeling,”
Ayfer Uygul, 52, weeps as ten-year-old daughter Tuba receives food aid from Red Crescent volunteers.
Told about Sun readers’ donations, she says: “Thank you,” as tears stream down her face.
Her elder daughter Fidan, 24, a trainee teacher, has been a Red Crescent volunteer for three years.
She says: “Four of our neighbours died.
“We can’t go back to the house.
“We have no idea what we will do.”
Beside a busy road connecting Pazarcik and regional hub Kahramanmarasş a bedraggled queue of the hungry and homeless stretches for at least 500 metres.
Kahramanmarasş has also housed its quake homeless in its football stadium, where Zeynab Karakus is preparing an evening meal of bread and lentil soup for her three children at her makeshift new home supplied by the Red Crescent.
Her children Ilyda, ten, Ibrahim, eight and Reyyan, two, emerge with wide smiles from the tent pitched on a running track in the stadium.
Zeynab, 33, tells me: “We ran from our home with nothing.
“The children were frightened but feel safe here in the stadium.
“But we can’t go back to our home because it is unsafe.”
And showing extraordinary resilience and gratitude, she adds: “Thank you to everyone who has donated.
“Every day since the earthquake struck is getting better.”
Barratt Developments: £50,000
WE’VE all been affected by the distressing news from Turkey and Syria.
We welcome The Sun’s appeal and through our Foundation will donate to support the vital work the Red Cross is doing to ease suffering and help families.
David Thomas, CEO
Dunelm: Undisclosed
EVERYONE at Dunelm is shocked by the earthquakes. Our donation to The Sun’s campaign will provide help to those affected, helping them access food, water, clothing and shelter.
We will continue to work with suppliers and colleagues affected by this disaster to offer support.
Nick Wilkinson, CEO
The Entertainer - TheToyShop.com: £2,000
WE are delighted to support such a vital appeal to support people who have lost everything.
Gary Grant, founder
PizzaExpress: £5,000
WE are pleased to support the Earthquake Appeal and the amazing work of the British Red Cross.
Paula MacKenzie, CEO
Clipper: 100,000
I HAVE seen the harrowing scenes and devastation caused by the earthquakes on the Turkey and Syria border and wanted to help in whichever way was possible.
Steve Parkin, Clipper Logistics
Former coal miner who grew his 1990s “man and van” business into a £1billion enterprise
JD Sports: 25,000
OUR thoughts are with the people of Turkey and Syria at this unbearably difficult time for them, and we are committed to supporting the British Red Cross in their critical relief and recovery efforts.
In addition to this donation, JD colleagues are also engaged in fundraising activities.
Régis Schultz, CEO
EG Group: £125,000
EG Group is pleased to support the British Red Cross through The Sun’s Appeal.
We are also organising fundraising events and activities in the Blackburn head office and across our UK sites to supplement the company donation.
Our hearts go out to all those affected.
Zuber Issa, co-CEO
Ocado donated £25,000.
Celebs’ £95,000
MUSIC mogul Simon Cowell helped us hit £1million in donations by gifting £50,000.
Scottish entrepreneur Sir Tom Hunter gave £20,000. He said: “The Sun has done a great job of bringing this home to everyone.”
Ex-Dragons’ Den tycoon Theo Paphitis donated £5,000. He said: “You can’t help but be shocked by the scenes in Turkey, and we are pleased to be able to contribute.”
Apprentice star Lord Sugar gave £10,000 while Stranger Things actor Millie Bobby Brown also donated.
Dragons’ Den tycoon Touker Suleyman donated £10,000. He said: “Turkey is very close to my heart, being of Turkish origin. We are going flat out to help in this disaster.”
M&S: £100,000
THE scale of the devastation caused by the earthquakes across Türkiye and Syria is hard to comprehend and will no doubt have long-lasting impacts on the lives of so many, including our own teams in our sourcing office and franchise stores in Türkiye.
We want to get the much-needed support to those on the ground and that’s why we continue to support The Sun and British Red Cross appeal.
Stuart Machin, CEO
Camelot : £100,000
THE Sun’s Earthquake Appeal is doing a fantastic job raising funds for the Red Cross and helping those in desperate need, so all of us at Camelot, operators of the National Lottery, are pleased to support such an incredibly important campaign.
Clare Swindell and Neil Brocklehurst, Co-CEOs
Centrica donated £150,000.
‘WE GAVE OUR POCKET MONEY’
By Emma Pietras, Clare O’Reilly and Heather Main
THE SUN has been overwhelmed by the generosity of readers who dug deep in their pockets to help those affected by the disaster.
Among them are big-hearted siblings James and Charlotte Meaney, who each gave up their £5 pocket money.
Six-year-old James was inspired to donate after his school held a non- uniform day to help raise funds, with three-year-old Charlotte following suit.
He says: “I’d be very sad if I had to move house and lost my toys.
“I hope my pocket money helps buy the boys and girls some new things.
“If our house fell down we would need people to help, and it is good to help people when they are sad.”
The children live with parents Nathan and Katy Meaney, both 37, in Wolverhampton.
Proud mum, Katy, a writer, says she told James his school’s non-uniform day would raise money “to help families in other countries as there had been an earthquake”.
She said: “I gently explained how some people were going to have to build their homes again and were left with no food, clothes or furniture.
“He is very kind and considerate and was eager to help.
“He is saving for Super Mario Lego sets and he understands that by giving away his savings it will take longer to buy and he still wants to help.
‘Desperately needed’
“I am incredibly proud of James for being so kind and generous.
“Charlotte is far too young to understand the crisis, but she always looks up to her big brother and likes to copy his kind actions.
“Seeing the photographs in The Sun of babies being pulled from the rubble, we had to do something to help those who have survived.”
Katy, who runs children’s theatre website Behind The Magic Curtain, praised The Sun for our appeal to help the British Red Cross give aid where it is desperately needed.
She says: “The appeal has highlighted how easy it is to help.
“The people working on the ground are true superheroes.”
Twelve-year-old Brae Taylor, decided to donate his £200 winnings from a sporting competition.
Brae, from Holmfirth, West Yorks, competed in the Fujairah Mountain Shooting Championship in Dubai last month.
Mum Katie, 30, a dog sonographer, says: “He knew about the earthquakes as he followed footballer Christian Atsu on TikTok, who was killed during the quakes.
“So when Brae realised he’d won a cash prize for coming tenth, he asked straight away if he could give it to the people in Turkey.
Brae says: “I was really shocked and upset when I heard Christian had died. He was only 31.
“I’m very lucky to have what I need and I felt it would be better for the money to go to the people who are suffering and who have lost everything.”
Lochlan MacFarlane, 11, from Arbroath, Angus, donated his £5 pocket money to the Sun appeal.
He says: “My mum always says we should help others if we can.
“When I saw what happened, it looked awful and so scary.
“There are children out there like me who were at school and played with their friends and now all of that is gone.
“It must be really awful to lose your home and your family.”
Alex Quinn, 22, of Yardley, Birmingham, was moved to donate a fiver after reading our coverage.
He says: “The British Red Cross is a brilliant charity.
“They’re always on the ground where they’re needed and make such a difference to those who have been left with nothing.”
He adds: “The Sun’s campaign is great. It’s a way to get the donation message out to a huge audience.”
Six-year-old Jess Jordan, lives in Battersea, South London, with mum Esther Shaw, 43, a writer, dad Rob, 42, who works in finance and investment, and brother Josh, three.
The family have donated £50 to the appeal after Jess’s school did their own fundraising campaign.
Jess says: “I want to help raise money for things like medical supplies, food and clean water.
“I talked to Mummy and Daddy, and together we decided to donate to the British Red Cross.
“Some children at my school are from Turkey, so I know it’s really important to be kind to them.
“My school is doing lots of fundraising. Mummy and I are also trying to think of fundraising ideas, such as maybe baking cakes and selling them to family and friends.”
Event organiser Abby Knight, 60, from Ramsden Bellhouse, Essex, chipped in with a £75 gift.
She says: “It breaks my heart to see so many people in distress, especially when you know that many didn’t have a huge amount to start with, like the poor people in Syria who are already suffering because of the civil war.”
IT and marketing director Heema Naik, 30, from Walmley, Birmingham, also donated to the appeal.
She says: “If everyone gives a little, that amounts to a lot.
“Not everyone is fortunate enough to live as safely and comfortably as we do in this country, and when things like this happen, if we have the means to help, we should.
“Seeing The Sun launch the campaign so fast was brilliant.
“Galvanising The Sun’s millions of readers is a fantastic way to help the devastated families, people and communities in Turkey and Syria.”
HOW TO DONATE £5 TO THE SUN'S EARTHQUAKE APPEAL
YOUR money has already done so much. But the need is still huge in Turkey and Syria as the region looks to rebuild.
The Red Cross has been working tirelessly from day one, providing emergency shelter, hot meals, water and medical supplies.
They also have experts on the ground who provide counselling to those affected by extreme trauma.
£5 pays for a blanket to keep people warm in the cold weather.
£10 would provide a parcel of toiletries for five people for a month.
£27 would fund a shelter toolkit with fixings.
£16 would pay for a tarpaulin shelter for families.
£34 would provide a solar-powered lamp for a family.
It is simple to donate to The Sun Earthquake Appeal.
Just visit redcross.org.uk/sunaid.
You can also make a £5 donation by texting THESUN to 70141.