Melbourne’s determined Turkish community has secured a charter flight to send truckloads of donations to earthquake disaster zones.
Volunteers have been working through the night to organise the donations, which include sleeping bags, tents and blankets.
The quake is already among the world’s deadliest this century, with the death toll surpassing 17,000.
Bea Tercan, a volunteer, said she hoped the donations would bring a small amount of relief amid temperatures nearing freezing in Turkey and Syria.
“You have our hearts. We are with you, we might be thousands of kilometres away but our heart is with you,” she said.
Another volunteer, Nilufer Kurtuldu said she had been completely overwhelmed with the efforts of the Turkish community in Melbourne’s north.
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“It’s been overwhelming the support we have been getting from everyone from every community,” she said.
“We do need to emphasise it has been solely community based.”
The Victorian government confirmed it would contribute $1 million to humanitarian relief efforts on the ground to provide immediate shelter and food items to those who have been injured and evacuated in the disaster.
Public buildings in Melbourne’s CBD will be lit up in white tomorrow night to show solidarity with the people of Turkey and Syria.
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