Thanks in part to the Wise community, Wise members Philip and Tamar Koosed have helped effect real change in the wake of the devastating February earthquake that struck the Syrian-Turkish border region.
Since the earthquake, the Kooseds’ organization, Save the Syrian Children, has delivered medical supplies, humanitarian aid, and helped raise awareness of those still suffering in the quake’s aftermath. Here’s what they did in the first 45 days after the quake:
Medical Aid: Save the Syrian Children has procured (factory direct) and is shipping over 66,000 pounds of medical aid, filling two full 40-foot containers. The first container is carrying over 440,000 units of medical supplies.
Humanitarian Aid: Thanks to in-kind donations, the organization has received over 100,000 pounds of humanitarian aid supplies, filling four cargo containers. Items donated include blankets, sleeping bags, winter clothing, water receptacles, hygiene kits, baby kits, feminine hygiene kits, school supplies, and toys. These will be distributed to the growing number of internally displaced people camps in Idlib.
Awareness: Those suffering in Syria have received little international attention. Save the Syrian Children’s social media campaign and news coverage has helped get the word out to over 1.2 million people. See their interview with CNN here and their interview with KTLA here.
While the fight to find survivors in the rubble is over, the fight in the hospitals continues. Doctors work to save children from amputations, and to help those with kidney disease and other chronic illnesses caused or exacerbated by the earthquake. You can donate to Save the Syrian Children’s Emergency Earthquake Relief Fund HERE.
