The earthquake that occurred during the night of Feb. 5-6, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, left hundreds dead and thousands injured in Turkey and Syria.

“During the night the earthquake was felt very strongly and for a long duration, and other tremors were recorded throughout the following,” explains Fr. Alejandro Leon, provincial of the Salesians in the Middle East. The Salesian center in Aleppo suffered limited damage, with cracks and some broken windows, but both the Salesians and the people they serve are fine and safe. Similar situation in the other two centres run by the salesians in the country, Damascus and Kafroun.

As soon as the ground began to shake, some families left their houses and took refuge at the Salesian center in the heart of Aleppo, seeking help and shelter, and the number continued to grow during the following day and night. There they were welcomed and given warm clothes, food and comfort. To date, more than 300 people are housed in the center: their homes were heavily damaged during the war and they feel safer in the Salesian center.

In Kafroun, similarly, around 150 families who suffered from damage to their homes have asked to temporarily move to the home to receive assistance and feel safer.

The epicenter of the earthquake was Kahramanmaraş in southern Turkey, on the northwestern border with Syria. Hundreds of buildings collapsed in Aleppo and the death toll is now estimated at over 900, in addition to hundreds missing under the rubble and thousands injured. In other locations where Salesians are working, the numbers of casualties and injuries are more limited but significant material and infrastructural damage was recorded at the time of the quakes and afterwards.

The Salesians, who since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in 2012 have been actively involved in assisting people in more vulnerable and impoverished conditions, are providing shelter and emergency aid to those affected by the earthquake, who are already extremely tested by the aftermath of more than a decade of war, a deep economic and financial crisis, and a cold and snowy winter.

To support the work of the Salesians in Syria on behalf of the families most affected by the earthquake, you can donate through transfer and wire transfer to the following accounts:

Beneficiary: Direzione Generale Opere Don Bosco Via Marsala 42

00185 Rome

Bank: Banca Popolare di Sondrio

AGENCY NO. 2 – ROME

Via Gherardi Silvestro 45 00146 Rome

IBAN: IT54O0569603202000004655X77

BIC/SWIFT: POSOIT22

reason for payment: Syria Earthquake Emergency

or:

Fondazione don Bosco nel mondo “Ramo beneficenza ONLUS”

Banca Popolare di Sondrio

IBAN IT86 O056 9603 2020 0000 7100 X00

Branch 072 Rome – ag. 2

Swift: POSOIT2106I

reason for payment: Syria Earthquake Emergency

For questions, information and requests: please contact pdo@donboscomor.org