Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

Over twenty days have passed since the earthquake in Turkiye and Syria, and volunteers have successfully delivered materials full of love to Turkiye in batches. However, due to the turmoil of the political situation and other limiting factors, it is hard to provide external aid to Syrian disaster victims.

Tzu Chi has been working to coordinate and seek ways and channels to assist Syria. Additionally,  many enthusiastic entrepreneurs would like to cooperate with Tzu Chi to contribute their love to the disaster-affected people, especially those in remote areas that are hard to reach. Fortunately, through the introduction of Tzu Chi volunteer I Hwei Lee, Mr. Joseph Huang, president of Camel Textile International Corp. located in Karak, Jordan, expressed his hope to donate clothing and blankets to Tzu Chi's Jordan Chapter to help Syrian disaster victims.

The Hashemite organization, which has been working with Tzu Chi Jordan for many years, also expressed its willingness to assist Tzu Chi in delivering supplies to Syria. The shipment of goods includes 10,000 thick jackets, 975 pairs of shoes, 10,000 hats and 10,000 pairs of gloves, 430,000 pieces of clothing, and 60,000 blankets.

Tzu Chi Jordan is located 210 kilometers from the Syrian capital, Damascus, and 570 kilometers from the disaster area of Aleppo. The supplies are currently being packed and prepared, and all parties hope to deliver them to Syria as soon as possible.

Bring love together, let love flow like a never-ending spring

On several occasions, Master Cheng Yen reminded her disciples that the ongoing relief efforts in Turkiye and Syria aim to provide emergency aid and support for resettlement. For the next stage, she emphasized the importance of helping the victims settle down, providing spiritual support, and enabling them to establish stable lives in the future. Master Cheng Yen urged her disciples to offer long-term support and care to the victims.

The Master also expressed her gratitude to Tzu Chi volunteers from Taiwan and 45 other countries and regions around the world who bravely raised funds on the streets and donated to the cause. She earnestly hopes that this wave of love can continue like a gushing spring, providing long-term support to the victims of the disasters in Turkiye and Syria. "We must actively seize the moment to quickly contribute and rely on everyone to spread the word of what we are doing now and pool more love together."

Source: a summary from the report on the progress of relief work after the earthquakes of Turkiye and Syria, 2022/02/23.