Update on earthquake emergency aid and thanksgiving
Dear supporters and donors, it has now been six months since two severe earthquakes shook the area between Antakya/Antep and Adyaman. The region has still not calmed down and the earth continues to shake.
We would like to thank you very much for your financial and material support over the last few months as well as your prayers.
We have been able to support and launch various projects thanks to your donations. We'll give you an update here, but we won't be able to name any names in order to protect the christian people on site.
From the first days after the disaster, we were able to use local brothers and sisters in our faith to locate particularly disadvantaged and affected people and to provide them with direct support through direct food and emergency packages. Support for the daily living of many people will continue to be guaranteed through “food vouchers”. As soon as the next winter 2023/2024 will come, this help will be particularly needed again and therefore have to be expanded.
We have also supported local village organizations (Vakfi), who support people in resettling on site and rebuilding housing in the form of heated containers and simple houses. The Vakfi document special cases of hardship so that they can be supported in the long term.
Our local aid projects are not finished. Reconstruction is a huge project and many people continue to need support. We continue to raise donations and support.
You are welcome to do this monetarily via the the following account details, with the payment note: Earthquake donation_Elbistan
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PostFinance account details
Account holder: Elijah Service/Elijah Ministries
IBAN: CH96 0900 0000 1596 7186 4
Address: Im Ettingerhof 8, 4055 Basel, Switzerland
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Project description
Elbistan earthquake relief
The series of earthquakes on February 6, 2023 particularly hit the region around Elbistan, at the epicenter of the quakes. Most of the houses are destroyed and uninhabitable, and the harsh Anatolian winter has returned with lots of fresh snow. Many people from this non-Muslim, Alevi region have fled to the surrounding mountain villages and live in stables or makeshift housing, without sanitation or clean water. Others, who have relatives in other towns further away, are trying to get there. Those left in the rubble in Elbistan City have no place to go or wait, hoping that someone would come and help rescue and bury buried relatives and friends.
Strengthen local believers
As Elijah Ministries, we directly support and help local Christian churches and fellow believers in the Maras-Elbistan region. These small christian communities help the civilian population with great loyalty and support holding out in the epicenter of the earthquakes through many projects such as soup kitchens, food parcels or temporary housing and charity. They live the hope and love of Yeshuah directly to the people, by which the local christian communities are strengthened and are growing.
Support local village organizations
We also support the local village organizations (Vakaf) around Elbistan. They have the trust of the local civilian population and help to rebuild housing for particularly affected and disadvantaged people as well as the local infrastructure through targeted projects.