A Blackburn man was delivering aid to displaced people in Turkey when a new earthquake hit on Monday evening (February 20).
Junaid Nadeem, a volunteer for charity Global Relief Trust (GRT), said people were injured in the new magnitude 6.4-earthquake that hit.
In the latest update, Turkey’s disaster management authority said eight people have been killed and 294 others injured, 18 of which are in critical condition, in the most recent earthquake.
While this earthquake was not as devastating as the magnitude 7.8 one that hit on February 6, killing more than 45,000 people in Turkey and Syria, Mr Nadeem said it made the already displaced locals panic.
The 31-year-old said: “On the journey heading towards Hatay, we didn’t think much of the earthquakes at first. Some of us just thought it was a bit of a bumpy journey.
“The car started bouncing and signal wasn’t too good.
“Once the signal returned we were flooded with notifications from family members asking if we are okay.
“That’s when we realised it was another earthquake. We are a little bit shaken and are worried about what could happen next.
“We looked for a place to stay and looked for the smallest building available.”
Mr Nadeem said there were reports of some panicked people jumping from tall buildings when the latest earthquake hit, with others driving recklessly in order to escape the immediate area.
He said: “There are quite a few people trapped under rubble, people were jumping out of buildings in panic as they were scared.
“People have sped away in vehicles and crashed.”
For the next few days, pharmacist Mr Nadeem and other members of the GRT will be delivering supplies across Turkey and Syria.
He says the pictures in the media do not show the true horrors on the ground.
He said: “What you see in the media doesn’t do justice to what is happening here and words can’t describe what it is like here
“You have two to three families per room. Mosques are being used as distribution centres and are also hosting displaced families.
“Buildings have been destroyed.
“Families are sleeping on the streets as some don’t feel safe going into buildings.
“One man came to us for a food parcel. He was stuck under the rubble and was wearing a rib support bandage.
“A little girl had been hit in the head with debris and needed treatment for her head trauma.”
Mr Nadeem wants remind people back at home that the people of Turkey and Syria still need our support and donations
He said: “The situation is really bad. We need to spread awareness and raise as much money as we can.
“We need to seriously rebuild the country for these people as they are constantly being displaced.
“You need to put yourself in the shoes of these people. Tomorrow, this could be us.”
In affected areas, GRT has already distributed more than 35,000 hot meals, 3,000 mattresses and blankets and moved more than 700 families into temporary accommodation.
A spokesperson for the GRT said: “GRT has a long-standing reputation for providing critical support for those who need it the most and Junaid’s presence on the ground is a testament to the organisation’s commitment to alleviating the suffering of those affected by disasters and conflicts.”
To make a donation visit Mr Nadeem's fundraising page at: www.givebrite.com/grt/junaid-5467
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