COLUMBUS, Ohio — An earthquake that has resulted in the deaths of more than 47,000 people in Turkey and Syria has also forced thousands to flee their homes.
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake is the deadliest in more than a decade.
Organizations in Columbus, though thousands of miles apart, are working to bridge the gap by raising funds and gathering donations.
Below is a list of ways to donate and organizations working to help.
Here’s a look at the key developments from the aftermath of the earthquake.
DEATH TOLL TOPS 47,000
Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu has raised the number of fatalities in Turkey from the magnitude 7.8 earthquake to 43,556.
The combined death toll in Turkey and Syria now stands at 47,244.
In an interview with state broadcaster TRT late on Wednesday, Soylu said teams were sifting through two buildings in hard-hit Hatay province in search of further bodies. Search operations elsewhere have come to an end, he said.
Meanwhile, at least 164,000 buildings have either collapsed or are so damaged that they need to be demolished, said Murat Kurum, Turkey’s minister for the environment and urbanization.
SYRIANS SHELTER IN TENTS AND CARS
The local civil defense in northwestern Syria, known locally as The White Helmets, said Thursday that thousands of children and tens of thousands of families have taken shelter in cars and tents “fearing they would face a repeat of the earthquake.”
In government-held Syria, a first plane from Bahrain loaded with aid landed in Damascus. The Gulf monarchy is among many Arab countries that in recent years have tried to thaw relations with President Bashar Assad, after shunning him in 2011 for his brutal crackdown on protesters.
Saudi Arabia and Egypt, two key U.S. allies in the region, have also delivered aid.