We are continuing to work with our partners in Turkey and Syria and getting regular updates. It is heartbreaking to hear that thousands of people have lost their lives, thousands more injured and hundreds of thousands left homeless. As is often the case with huge earthquakes the aftershocks went on for days and now most people are afraid to go near or into remaining standing structures.

For the families that survived in the hardest hit regions of Southern Turkey and Northern Syria they now have no home, little access to food and safe water, they are exhausted, discouraged and frightened. Add to those the extreme cold and snowy conditions and you quickly realize why our support is needed urgently and quickly.

Our partners are coordinating places for shelter, procuring emergency food and water along with other essential emergency supplies to get families through the coming days and weeks. Speroway will work alongside these community leaders and church leaders in some of the more remote areas and bring help directly to families in greatest need.

• February 6th, Southern Turkey and Northern Syria were tragically hit by a 7.8 earthquake. The region was then hit with a 7.6 earthquake and over 100 aftershocks.

• More than 15,000 people have been killed in Turkey and tens of thousands injured

• Syria’s death toll has climbed into the thousands in a region where hundreds of thousands of people already relied on humanitarian aid

• Thousands of buildings have collapsed leaving hundreds of thousands homeless

• Freezing temperatures are further endangering survivors and complicating rescue efforts