This is a difficult summary to write, and different to our other projects. Our CEO lived in Gaziantep and visited it monthly for years - it was a her second home. She worked together with two local Syrian non-profit organisations Lawyers and Doctors of Human Rights (LDHR) and Amal Healing & Advocacy Center (AHAC), and many of their staff members became her friends, some as close as family. With the powerful earthquake, staff and family members were lost and the recovery will take years.
After the 7.5 and 7.8 earthquakes in Turkey, Lawyers and Doctors for Human Rights (LDHR) and Amal Healing and Advocacy Center (AHAC) are dealing with devastating damage and losses that the earthquake has caused. The situation on the ground is very serious..Homes are destroyed and families who survived the earthquake are sleeping in their cars or makeshift tents in their gardens outside their homes. Many are searching for their loved ones in the rubble as they wait for news from those.
Romi's Way wants to send funds where we know they are 100% spent by local actors, to deal with the aftermath of the earthquake and delivered without cut operational or admin costs for international organisations. We believe in locally lead processes. We know LDHR and AHAC extremely well, and know every penny will be spend to help communities to recover from the unimaginable events, in extremely difficult conditions. They are able to support both Syrian and Turkish populations which is important.
The recovery process will take years, trauma recovery a lifetime, but with early response ensuring the immediate physical and emotional needs addressed, will help communities to cope with the losses and the long path towards physical and emotional recovery or coping. This appeal is to allow LHDR and AHAC to prioritise their needs with the funds and ensure people receive the support (physical or emotional) they so much require at this stage.
