KU Leuven donates 25,000 euros for aid to affected areas
During the night from Sunday to Monday, southern Turkey and northern Syria were hit very hard by multiple earthquakes. Thousands are dead, missing and injured, and harsh weather conditions are hampering rescue efforts. KU Leuven donates 25,000 euros to Belgian Red Cross-Flanders and Doctors Without Borders for humanitarian aid to the affected areas.
The earthquakes that hit the Turkish-Syrian border area on Sunday night and Monday morning had a devastating impact. Thousands of people lost their lives or went missing under the rubble. Thousands were also injured. The material damage is also considerable: the havoc in many towns and villages is enormous.
Meanwhile, rescue efforts were mounted from all corners of the world. Humanitarian aid organizations immediately sprang into action. KU Leuven also contributes and donates 25,000 euros to the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders. ‘We sympathize with all the inhabitants of the affected regions in Turkey and Syria, and would like to express our support to them in these dark times,’ says rector Luc Sels. ‘The impact of the earthquakes is enormous, on many levels. The human toll is incredibly high, and the material damage is currently incalculable. Families were abruptly torn apart and many are left orphaned. The Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders can make a real difference to the population on the ground. We want to help them with this financial support.’
Rector Luc Sels also sent a message on Monday to the 527 Turkish and 52 Syrian KU Leuven students and colleagues who have their roots in these regions. The university wants to encourage them and lend them a helping hand. ‘A news like this causes a lot of anxiety, especially if it concerns your home country and if you have family or friends there,’ says the rector. ‘Colleagues and students who need a listening ear or who have specific questions can always contact our student facilities, their manager or the network of trust within our university community’.