Earlier this week, Turkey and Syria were hit by one of the deadliest earthquakes in decades; the death toll was approaching 12,000 by Wednesday. More than two dozen countries have responded to the devastating 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes by providing aid.
People from all over the world have come together to help the disaster-stricken areas, providing everything from hot meals to search personnel and technological equipment.
Now, self-made billionaire and Turkish immigrant Hamdi Ulukaya is doing his part to aid relief efforts by donating $1 million to the cause this week.
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Ulukaya tweeted that he would double donations to the Turkish Philanthropy Funds up to $1 million to help with the ongoing rescue and recovery efforts. A spokesperson for Chobani has confirmed that the goal has been reached, bringing the total amount of his donation to $2 million.
Ulu kaya’s amplified fund is headquartered in New York and seeks to raise $10 million, as stated on their website. So far, they’ve managed to raise $4,2 million.
Immediately after the disaster on Monday, Ulukaya called on “organizations, institutions, and people of the world” to help those affected.
Ulukaya is no stranger to humanitarian work or social activism. As layoffs were being announced in the business world in January, he suggested that companies look to migrants for their “most loyal and motivated workforce.”
In 2016, he also founded the non-profit Tent Partnership for Refugees, which advocates for large corporations to hire refugees.
A three-month state of emergency has been declared by the Turkish government in several cities across the south of the country.
Hatay, one of the worst hit areas, had an airport destroyed in the earthquake, making rescue efforts more difficult, so President Recep Tayyip Erdogan went there on Wednesday.
Turkey’s citizens and political opponents have accused Erdogan of being slow to respond to crises and unprepared to deal with any that may arise.
Both Turkey and Syria, which share a border, have been struggling for years internally; Turkey has seen its currency steadily devalue and inflation soar to unprecedented heights, and Syria has been embroiled in a civil war for over a decade.
Many thousands of Syrians have fled to neighboring Turkey. People in the affected areas have lost their homes and are still looking for somewhere to call home after the earthquake.
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Latest as of 7:26 PM on February 8, 2023: We’ve revised the article’s headline and body to reflect the new information that Ulukaya will donate $2 million, rather than the $1 million he originally pledged plus the $1 million we’ve calculated he’ll give as a result of matching donations from others.
