'Rebuilding those cities will take years': Edmontonians collect donations for quake victims in Turkiye and Syria

Edmontonians are rallying together to support people in Turkiye and Syria after a massive earthquake rocked the region on Monday.

The Turkish Canadian Society of Edmonton says it's primarily a cultural society, but they've banded together to help family and friends back home.

"When you are so far away from home and there’s no alternative in situations like this one. There’s disasters, things like that, your mission changes very quickly and turns into a fundraising drive," society president Sim Senol told CTV News Edmonton.

Volunteers are selling homemade Turkish food and collecting specific items to send to Turkiye.

"Baby formula, baby diapers, adult diapers, women’s hygiene products, sleeping bags, and if anyone has winterized tents because again, it’s cold out there, that’s what we’re collecting," Senol said.

"Until they rebuild, all these people are going to be living in temporary shelters, in college dorms, and during that time when you’re living in a suitcase, these are the kind of supplies that are going to come in handy."

She says they won't be accepting physical donations that aren't on their list.

"You don’t want to overwhelm the workers on the ground with supplies they don’t need or supplies they need to sort through."

Donations for earthquake victims in Turkiye and Syria.

Senol says rallying to support quake victims helps bring the community together.

"People that are waiting to hear from their family members or getting bad news from Turkiye and they can’t just up and go, those people I think needed to be together.

"We're upstairs cooking, laughing, sometimes crying together."

But despite their efforts, Senol says the devastation in Turkiye is widespread, and they can only do so much.

"Rebuilding those cities will take years. So 10 cities, a vast geography that was impacted.

"This is going to cost billions of dollars. I can’t even make a dent with the $50,000 I have raised so far."

For more information on how to help, visit the Turkish Canadian Society of Edmonton on social media.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jessica Robb.