Emory students raise money for Turkey as earthquake death toll rises to 28,000

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Emory Turkish students raise money for Turkey earthquake victims

Two students from Emory University said they are collecting money for those affected by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that recently struck most of Turkey.

ATLANTA — The death toll in Turkey and Syria has risen to more than 28,000 after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck the region on Monday. FOX 5’s Kim Leoffler spoke with Turkish college students who have been doing what they can domestically to help abroad.

These students admitted that they had friends and family members who lost their lives in the aftermath of this earthquake. They said that help will likely be needed in those areas for a very long time.

Elif Jenker said, “I had no words to say. I didn’t know what to do.”

The news of the earthquake in Turkey hit near the home of Emory University students, Elif Cenker and Elida Paykan. Both are from Istanbul.

“I checked social media to see if anyone was affected, and then I stayed up all night and kept hearing stories about friends who were found dead,” Genser told FOX 5.

“Honestly, I’ve reached out to as many people as possible back home, and it’s very sad,” Paykan said.

Elif Canker said her uncle is part of a rescue team scavenging through the rubble in Turkey, looking for survivors.

Gencr sent FOX 5 photos that she said were taken by her uncle on Thursday. Genser said her uncle is part of a rescue team scavenging through the rubble, looking for survivors.

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake in the southeastern part of the country triggered hundreds of aftershocks. The strongest was recorded at a magnitude of 7.5.

As the death toll continues to rise, tens of thousands have been injured and millions displaced.

Two Turkish students and a Turkish professor have started a fundraising campaign to send money to those affected by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that devastated Turkey.

This is exactly what prompted Genker and Paykan to team up with a Turkish professor to raise money to send to those in need.

“We try to do our best from afar to do the best we can because their pain is our pain,” Paykan said.

The President of Turkey described the earthquake as one of the greatest disasters in their history.

“So far, we’ve been able to raise $3,000 in less than 48 hours, but that’s very small compared to the scale that happened in Turkey,” Genker said. “I cannot stress how important the donations are, and how important it is for everyone to come together to recognize the scale of this disaster.”

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