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 is still unsettled and the earth continues to tremble.
We sincerely thank you for your financial and material support over the past months, as well as your prayers.
Thanks to your donations, we have been able to support and launch various projects. We are giving you an update here, but we cannot disclose any names in order to protect the people on the ground.
From the very first days after the disaster, we were able to locate particularly disadvantaged and affected people through our local brothers and sisters in faith and provide them with direct support through food and emergency packages. Support for the daily living needs of many people continues to be ensured through food vouchers. As winter approaches, this assistance will be especially needed again and will therefore have to be expanded.
Furthermore, we supported local village organizations (Vakfi) that assist people with resettlement and the reconstruction of housing, including heated containers and simple houses. The Vakfi document particularly difficult cases so that these can be supported long-term.
Our aid projects on the ground are not yet complete. Reconstruction is a huge undertaking, and many people still need support. We continue to collect donations and support.
You are welcome to make a monetary donation via the following bank account details, with the payment reference "Earthquake Relief_Elbistan" .
PostFinance account details
Account Holder: Elijah Dienst/Elijah Ministries
IBAN: CH96 0900 0000 1596 7186 4
Address: Im Ettingerhof 8, 4055 Basel, Switzerland
Project description
Earthquake relief Elbistan
The series of earthquakes on February 6, 2023, severely impacted the region around Elbistan , the epicenter of the quakes. Most houses are destroyed and uninhabitable, and the harsh Anatolian winter has returned with heavy snowfall. Many people from this non-Muslim, Alevi region have fled to the surrounding mountain villages and are living there in barns or makeshift shelters, without sanitation or clean water. Others, who have relatives in more distant cities, are trying to reach them. Those who remain in the rubble of Elbistan have nowhere to go or wait, hoping that someone will come and help rescue and bury their buried relatives and friends.
Strengthen local believers
As Elijah Ministries, we directly support and assist local Christian communities and fellow believers in the Maras-Elbistan region. These small congregations faithfully and lovingly help the civilian population enduring the earthquake's epicenter through numerous projects such as soup kitchens, food packages, and temporary shelters. They directly demonstrate the hope and love of Yeshua to the people, thereby strengthening and growing the local communities.
Support local village organizations
Furthermore, we support the local village organizations (Vakaf) around Elbistan. They have the trust of the local population and help with targeted projects to rebuild homes for particularly affected and disadvantaged people, as well as local infrastructure.