Family, friends and community members in Nova Scotia are concerned for the people of Turkey and Syria post destructive Earthquake Hit on Monday.
The death toll continues to rise as search teams dig through the debris left over from the magnitude 7.8 quake.
What to know as bitter cold complicates Turkey earthquake rescue effort
Chinese spy balloon: US Navy releases close-up photos of wreckage recovery
In Kentville, N.S., Saad Zora is working desperately to find his twin sister, Samar, who lost contact with her when the earthquake shook southeastern Turkey and northeastern Syria.
“It seems like we have exhausted all measures, but we are not giving up,” Zora said on Tuesday.
Saad Zora in Nova Scotia is doing his best to hold on to his twin sister Samar, pictured here, who was in Turkey during the earthquake.
Provided/Saad Zora
The 33-year-old PhD candidate is living in Turkey as part of her research work.
“My sister is an intelligent, ambitious young woman who was pursuing a PhD in anthropology at Duke,” he said.
She said she immediately picked up the phone when she learned that the city she was living in had been hit by a powerful earthquake.
Newborn baby rescued from mother’s birth under rubble of earthquake in Syria
Amateur metal detectorist uncovers incredibly rare 500-year-old royal pendant
“I started contacting anyone I knew, any mutual friends and I called the Government of Canada,” he recalled.
He wants to send someone over to the place where she was staying to see if it’s still standing, but he doesn’t have the address of the Airbnb rental.
“There is more work to be done, more corners to see, and we are not going to give up.”
Fundraising efforts underway
The Turkish Society of Nova Scotia says many people have been affected by the tragedy locally, and they want to help.
Ilker Dulgic, a board member with the society, said, “We weighed our options and the most efficient option is to raise donations and transfer them directly to Turkey and Syria, so they can buy whatever they want there.”
Ilker Dalgik, a board member of the Turkish Society of Nova Scotia, is helping arrange donations for those affected by the earthquake.
The society will transfer the donations received to a Turkish fundraising platform, which will direct them to areas affected by the earthquake.
Meanwhile, Tariq Haddad, founder of Peace By Chocolate, is also stepping up to help. Sales from select bars online will be donated to the Canadian Red Cross.
Hadhad hopes the relief efforts will help those living through the ongoing civil war in her home country of Syria.
“It is not the government that needs help. These rebels don’t need help. This is none of those. It’s really people. Family moaning in pain. The families that are hurt,” he said.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.