Associated Creates Emergency Fund to Benefit Relief Efforts in Turkey and Syria

February 7, 2023 JMORE Staff

A view of a collapsed building in the southern Turkish province of Hatay. (Ali Kemal Zerenli/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images and JTA)

Jewish Baltimore is once again stepping up to the plate for those in crisis.

In the wake of the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Turkey and Syria that has left more than 36,000 dead and caused widespread devastation, The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore recently launched an emergency rescue and relief fund.

One-hundred percent of funds received by The Associated for this campaign will support emergency humanitarian aid to relief organizations on the ground in southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria.

“While rescue efforts are still underway and the full scale of the damage is yet to be determined, we know that the humanitarian needs are enormous as thousands are feared dead, tens of thousands injured and countless homes and buildings destroyed,” read an email from The Associated. “We are proud to be part of an international network that can aid in times of crisis. Our thoughts and prayers are with the lives lost, the injured, the missing and the brave rescue workers assisting in the recovery.

“The Associated, in conjunction with its national and international partners, will continue to monitor the situation as the devastation becomes more apparent in the days and weeks ahead. Your support is urgently needed.”

The earthquake — whose epicenter was in the eastern Turkish province of Kahramanmaras — was felt throughout the region and as far as Israel. It is one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the region in more than a century.

“It’s now a race against time,” said World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Every minute, every hour that passes, the chances of finding survivors alive diminishes.”

Checks can be sent to The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, 2023 Turkey/Syria Earthquake Emergency, 101 W. Mount Royal Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21201; or call 410-369-9300; or click here.