Our Second Mission

Turkish Earthquake Relief

In August 1999 a devastatitng earthquake struck Nothwestern Turkey, it caused great structural damageand killed thousdands .The earthquake measured 7.9 on the richter scale Casualty figures vary widely between sources, possibly due to confusion, mistakes or inadequate information in the wake of the disaster. The official death toll is placed at 17,127 killed and 43,953 injured, but many sources suggest the actual figure may have been closer to 40,000 dead and a similar number injured. The death toll increased in winter, due to poor conditions the survivors were living in within the shelters and on the street. Reports from September 1999 show that 120,000 houses were damaged beyond repair, 50,000 houses were heavily damaged, 2000 other buildings collapsed and 4000 other buildings were heavily damaged.

The Chief Co-Ordinator of Khalsa Aid, Ravinder Singh purchased thousands of pairs of socks and tens of thousands of water purification tablets.These relief items were sent to the offices of the Turkish Red Crescent in Istanbul via Turkish Airlines and distributed to the people in temporary shelters. Khalsa Aid also despatched a local vulunteer Gurjit Singh to Turkey to assess the situation.

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Recognise all of the human race as one.

- Guru Gobind Singh Ji