A nine-year-old Turkish boy, who survived the 5.9-magnitude earthquake, which jolted Turkey‘s northwestern Duzce province in November 2022, has donated his entire piggy-bank savings to have a hand in relief efforts for the victims of the latest devastating earthquakes in Turkey that have claimed the lives of over 30,000 so far.
Turkey, Syria earthquake live updates
Alparslan Efe Demir was forced to live in an earthquake relief camp set up by Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) for a few days in November last year, TRT World reported.
Demir was heartbroken when he saw the destruction caused by the devastating earthquakes that shook the nation and claimed thousands of lives on television. Upset with the suffering, he told his mother, Sinem Demir, that he wanted to donate his piggy bank money to relief funds.
The mother and son then visited the Duzce branch of the Turkish Red Crescent and handed over the money to the authorities. Demir even wrote a letter for the earthquake survivors, the report added.
He wrote, “I was very scared when there was an earthquake in Duzce. I had the same fear when I heard about the earthquake in many of our cities. That is why I decided to send the pocket money given by my elders to the children there.”
“It is okay if I do not buy chocolate here. Children there should not be cold or hungry. I will send my clothes and toys to the children there,” he added.
Read here: Watch: Nurses clutch onto newborns as earthquake shakes hospital in Turkey
The deadly earthquakes have left over 80,000 injured in Turkey and Syria. Rescue efforts are going round-the-clock, but the weather is making it harder for the survivors.
The first major earthquake of 7.8-magnitude hit central Turkey and northwest Syria on Monday. Turkey saw two more earthquakes on the same day of 7.6 and 6.0 magnitudes. On Tuesday, two other earthquakes hit the country of magnitude earthquakes hit the country of magnitudes 5.5 and 5.4.