Taiwan nonprofit in Turkey turns itself into shelter for earthquake victims

在土耳其的台灣非營利組織變身成地震災民的避難所

The center has been providing victims with accommodations, hot food, and electricity


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan-Reyhanli Center for World Citizens (Taiwan Center), a Taiwan-funded civic organization in Turkey, located less than 200 kilometers from the epicenter of the Feb. 6 earthquake, has turned itself into a shelter for earthquake victims, providing them with accommodations, hot food, and electricity.

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria and the death toll has reportedly reached over 7,000 people.

Taiwan Center director Chiu Chen-yu (裘振宇) said in an online press conference Wednesday that Reyhanli, located in Turkey’s Hatay Province near the country's border with Syria, was currently cut off from the outside world, with almost no water and electricity, CNA reported. The center’s staff were currently collecting diesel with which to generate electricity.

Without any outside aid, Chiu estimated that the center will be able to operate for about one to two weeks.

He said that there were currently no ambulances or police cars in the area, and many residents had come to the Taiwan Center for help, per CNA. In addition to accommodating disaster victims and providing hot food, the center also has electricity for people to charge their mobile phones.

The Taiwan Center has a generator donated by the United Nations to provide electricity and a groundwater well to provide water, Chiu was quoted by CNA as saying. Aftershocks continue to occur in Hatay Province, and as long as there are aftershocks, victims will flood into the Taiwan Center, he added.

In addition to the strong earthquake, what makes things worse is that the local winter came late this year, and the current nighttime low temperature is around zero degrees Celsius, the center director said, adding that it was estimated that about 300 to 400 people will spend the night in the center.

As the severe earthquake has caused severe damage to the local community, Chiu estimated that it will take at least six months to a year before the normal supply of water and electricity can be restored. To cope with the difficult time, the Taiwan Center plans to install solar power generation equipment and a rainwater recovery system, hoping to resume normal operations in a short time, he said, urging Taiwanese people to donate to support this cause.