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Earthquake in Ecuador

In April 2016, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake rocked Ecuador’s coast, killing approximately 700 people and leaving homes, schools, businesses, and infrastructure in ruins. The aftermath of this earthquake left over 700,000 people in need of assistance, 35,000 homes were destroyed, leaving over 100,000 in need of shelter. Aftershocks from this earthquake could still be felt in July, leaving the coastal area vulnerable to more damage and flooding. Thanks to your generous contributions, Embrace Relief was able to raise $5,000 for disaster relief aid. This included sending emergency supplies to those most affected.
Somalie Terrorist Attack

March 2016 – Terrorist Attack in Somalia

An unknown terrorist group attacked a school van carrying Somalian children and teachers. Five people lost their lives and many were left wounded. We sponsored the building of an armored van for the students and teachers to be able to travel safely to school. Furthermore, with your help, we were able to cover the health expenses of those who were wounded. Overall, we were able to raise $130,000 to send to those affected and to increase security measures for students and teachers of Somalia, help with medical expenses, and purchase homes for the families of mothers and fathers who died.

A teacher from Kıblenüma Primary School father of two young children, Hıdır Çalka (36) and, Banu Kemale İsmailova (34) who was the mother of two eleven and twelve year old boys who were injured in the attack, the service driver Amir Ömer Salim, and the translator Isa Hacı, Mohamed Ahmed had lost their lives. 

Stating that they strongly condemned this terrorist attack, CEO Dülgeroğlu said, “This time the terrorist attack found innocent teachers and school staff. This incident hurt us deeply. We, as an institution, have decided to organize an aid campaign for those who were martyred in this attack. “Stating that they always try to be with the needy, Dülgeroğlu said, “Our campaign will continue for a month. We will deliver all the aids collected to families in one way or another. We expect everyone to support our aid campaign,” he said. Thanks to gracious and empathetic donors, we were able to fulfill this promise and help the victims of this brutal attack.

Embrace Relief Syrian Refugees

SYRIAN REFUGEE RELIEF

Since the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011, an estimated 400,000 people were confirmed dead. Syrians went to extreme lengths to escape the violence and threats they faced at home and in hopes of finding a safe haven in a different land, especially in the neighboring countries. One of the biggest challenges Syrians face is the harsh winter conditions which make an already dire situation even worse. Having witnessed the troubles they’re facing, Embrace Relief volunteers in the US took initiative and organized annual blanket & coat drive campaigns to assist them for four years from 2013-2017.  In 2013 and 2014, Embrace Relief shipped blankets and winter clothes amounting to four and six containers respectively, to aid displaced Syrians in Turkey; the host country to the greatest number of Syrian refugees in the world. In addition, $110,000 was raised to provide food and other needs. As the unfortunate situation in the region did not improve, we repeated that campaign in 2015 with an even bigger success. Approximately 40,000 blankets, 33,000 coats and 7,500 pieces of various clothing were collected over a hundred drop-off locations, and the campaign created great awareness on both local and national levels. A similar campaign was repeated in 2016 for Syrian refugees struck in refugee camps in Iraq. To this day, 29 containers of relief goods were delivered to Syrians in need. On top of the blanket and clothing drive campaigns, Embrace Relief also ran a program to support the education of 350 Syrian children from grades K-12 and sponsored facilitation costs for a private school run by Syrian refugees in Istanbul. Embrace Relief also sponsored a soup kitchen serving hot meals to up to 4,000 refugees in the border town of Kilis, Turkey for a whole year. Similarly, Embrace Relief worked with local and national organizations in the US to help acclimate incoming refugees to the US and assisting families who have recently arrived in the country with guidance and material support.
Soma Disaster Relief

2014 Soma Mining Disaster, Manisa, Turkey

On May 13, 2014, a mining disaster claimed the lives of more than 300 miners in Soma in Manisa, Turkey. The disaster was caused by an untamed fire in the mine. Efforts were made to save as many victims as possible, but only 88 were rescued. 

Embrace Relief helped the families who lost their loved ones in the tragedy. We helped 50 families rebuild their lives. We bought houses for two of the most impacted families and gave 25 scholarships to the children who lost their parents. Furthermore, we donated $500 to the remaining 25 families to help them with financial, emotional, and psychological support. 

Overall, Embrace Relief was able to raise $150,000 for the victims and families affected by the Soma mining disaster.

Soma Disaster Relief Stand
Soma Disaster Relief Stands

Blood Drive

Embrace Relief organize blood donation campaigns and encourage its members and volunteers to donate blood. Blood is an constant demand for accident victims, surgery, and cancer patients with other diseases. Anyone between the ages of 17 to 76, in good health, and weighing at least 110 lbs can donate. You can donate up to 6 times per year.

Typhoon in Philippines

Typhoon Haiyan struck Philippines on Friday, November 8th with a wind of 200 mph, leaving the country in a devastating condition. It has received reports that around 10,000 people have lost their lives and it is the most powerful typhoon that has fallen. More than 1,200,000 people were forced to move into a safe place and around more than 850,000 people were in need of food. As part of Embrace Relief’s mission, we donated 50,000 to help those who are affected by Typhoon Haiyan.