Relief in the ruins

As the relief effort in Turkey mounts, international humanitarian organizations are seeking contributions for earthquake victims.

By Fiona Morgan

Aug 23, 1999 | The death toll continues to rise in Turkey following one of the worst earthquakes of the 20th century. Tens of thousands of bodies are still being pulled from mangled buildings in the region around Istanbul and the industrial town of Izmit. Emergency workers have shifted their efforts from searching for trapped survivors to providing medical treatment to the scores injured. Tens of thousands of Turks left homeless by the quake are camped out in streets and vacant lots, exposed to the serious threat of disease.

Relief agencies are soliciting funds to provide food and water, medical supplies and trained care workers to Turks devastated by the quake. Relief funds will also be used to offset some of the quake's economic side effects by helping to rebuild businesses and factories that have been damaged or destroyed.

Here's a list of organizations accepting aid contributions for Turkey's quake victims:

Adventist Development and Relief Agency
Turkey Earthquake Relief Fund
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904
(800) 424-2372

American Friends Service Committee
Turkey Earthquake Fund
1501 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(888) 588-2372

American Jewish World Service
Turkish Earthquake Relief Fund
989 Avenue of the Americas, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10018
(800) 889-7146

American Red Cross
International Response Fund
P.O. Box 37243
Washington, DC 20013
(800) HELP-NOW
Spanish: (800) 257-7575

Baptist World Aid
Baptist World Alliance
6733 Curran Street
McLean, VA 22101
(703) 790-8980

Catholic Relief Services
P.O. Box 17090
Baltimore, MD 21203-7090
(800)736-3467

Church World Service
Turkey Emergency Response Fund
28606 Phillips Street
P.O. Box 968 Elkhart, IN 46515
(800) 297-1516 ext. 222

Direct Relief International
Turkey Relief Fund
27 S. La Patera Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93117
(800) 676-1638

Food for the Hungry International
Turkey Fund
7729 East Greenway Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
(800) 2-HUNGER

Holy Land Foundation
525 International Parkway, Suite 509
Richardson, TX 75801
(800) 909-6822

International Aid
17011W. Hickory Street
Spring Lake, MI 49456
(800) 251-2502

Islamic Relief Worldwide
P.O. Box 6098
Burbank, CA 91510
(888) 479-4968

Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
Turkey Earthquake Relief
711 Third Avenue, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10017
(212) 885-0832

Lutheran World Relief
Turkey Earthquake Fund
P.O. Box 17061
Baltimore, MD 21298-9832
(800) LWR-LWR2

Operation USA
Turkey Quake Fund
8320 Melrose Avenue, #200
Los Angeles, CA 90069
(800) 678-7255

United Methodist Committee on Relief
Turkey Earthquake Fund
475 Riverside Drive, Room 330
New York, NY 10115
(800) 554-8583

U.S. Committee for UNICEF
333 E. 38th Street
New York, NY 10016
(800) FOR-KIDS

World Relief
P.O. Box WRC Dept. 3
Wheaton, IL 60189
(800) 535-5433

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