Humanitarian Crisis in Turkey and Syria
February 13, 2023
Dear Friends,
It has been heart-wrenching to read about and see the scenes of destruction resulting from the devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on February 6. The scale of loss of life and the suffering of survivors are immense. The Boston University community has students, staff, and faculty from around the world. We feel the grief and suffering experienced by those in Turkey and Syria. And we all seek to find ways to help.
Turkey and Syria will require continued assistance in the coming months as the region is facing devastation on all levels, from medical needs to rebuilding homes and infrastructure. If you would like to donate to relief efforts in this time of humanitarian crisis, I encourage you to give to charities and organizations that have a solid track record. I am immensely proud of our students in the BU Turkish Student Association who have started a fundraiser to benefit the well-established Bridge to Türkiye Fund. I hope you will consider contributing to this fund or other agencies that are accepting donations to provide immediate relief and assistance to the victims.
Interim Dean of Students Jason Campbell-Foster has reached out to our students from Turkey and Syria to make sure they are aware of ways his team can be supportive. Dean Campbell-Foster has conveyed information about counseling and support that are available and encouraged individual students with specific issues to contact his office. This has also been described in BU Today.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have lost family members and to those who are suffering from injury, dislocation, and acute shortages of food and other vital supplies.
Sincerely,
Robert A. Brown
President