Over 20,000 Total Deaths
Donations of Winter Clothing Like Padding and Coats
NGO Actively Engaged in Relief Efforts
[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] Amid the devastating earthquake in T?rkiye that has resulted in over 20,000 deaths, waves of mourning and donations are continuing in South Korea. Citizens have expressed heartfelt support, calling T?rkiye a brotherly nation that sent large-scale troops when South Korea faced communist invasion in 1950.
On the 10th, university student Moon Yeon-jeong (22) said, "I heard that if you leave a comment on Kakao Together, 1,000 won is donated. As a brotherly country, I sincerely hope they stay strong and rebuild."
Kim Mi-young (42), who lives in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, said, "I saw the relief supply donation list from the Turkish Embassy in Korea, which included winter clothing like jumpers and gloves," adding, "I washed and am drying my padding jacket. I felt uneasy, but I’m glad I can help in some way." Office worker Lee Jin-sil in her 30s said, "It’s scary and worrisome because such disasters can happen anywhere in the world," and added, "I donated 30,000 won through Naver." As of 7:20 a.m. that day, 650,000 people had participated in the Kakao Together ‘T?rkiye-Syria Emergency Fundraising,’ raising 1.5 billion won.
Online, donation-related tips such as ‘Ways to share the pain of the earthquake,’ ‘Donate with your fingers! Search for Naver Beans,’ and ‘On Kakao, donations are made just by leaving comments’ are being shared.
Domestic non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have also actively engaged in relief efforts. Organizations such as the Korean Red Cross, Save the Children, World Vision, Good Neighbors, Korea Food for the Hungry International, and Warm Day plan to support daily necessities, clothing, and relief supplies through fundraising. The Community Chest of Korea urgently provided 1.26 billion won, and Korea Food for the Hungry International plans to deliver donations worth about 1 billion won, focusing on children and adolescents.
Park Jae-young, manager of Warm Day, said in a phone interview with this paper, "As of 10 a.m. on the 9th, the fundraising amount exceeded 30 million won," adding, "Our staff will purchase daily necessities, food, and clothes to send to Hatay, the area most severely affected." He also added, "However, since using civilian aircraft means going to Istanbul instead of Hatay, which takes time, we are currently seeking opinions on whether goods can be loaded onto military aircraft."
Meanwhile, the South Korean government dispatched an emergency relief team of about 110 people, including over 60 members from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Fire Agency, and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), as well as about 50 soldiers, to T?rkiye. The government also announced plans to provide humanitarian aid worth 5 million dollars.
On the morning of the 6th (local time), a magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurred in the southern region of T?rkiye and the northern border area of Syria, with local deaths now estimated to exceed 20,000.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
