There will be a vigil at Glasgow Uni for Türkiye and Syria tomorrow

The vigil is being held at The Cloisters at 6pm

2 years ago

Tomorrow, a vigil for Türkiye and Syria is being held at the University of Glasgow.

The vigil will be held in The Cloisters of the Main Building, on Thursday 16 February from 18:00, as an act of solidarity and to express sympathy for those affected. It is expected that many staff and students from the university will attend.

On 6 February 2023, an earthquake hit southern and central Türkiye and northern and western Syria, with a long series of aftershocks which furthered damage caused by the initial tremors. The earthquakes have been devastating to both countries and the consequential loss of life has caused this to be one of the deadliest earthquakes in recent years.

1,500 Turkish people and 9,800 Syrian people (3,000 of which are asylum seekers) live in Scotland. Many of our peers will be impacted and, as natural disasters of this magnitude are unprecedented in the UK, many of us will find it hard to imagine the impact of such devastation on the countries and peoples involved.

As communities come together across the world to mourn and support, the University of Glasgow has released a statement: “The devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday has deeply shocked and saddened us all. At the University of Glasgow, we recognise that many within our community will be directly affected by this tragedy, and we will do everything that we can to provide support during this difficult time.”

Email received by UofG students concerning support for Türkiye and Syria

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As well as attending the vigil, other ways you can support those affected include donating, to charities such as Oxfam, Action Aid or directly to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC). The DEC has launched an emergency Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal, and the Scottish government has announced it is donating £500,000 to the cause.

Glasgow as a city is also coming together to support the aid effort by donating clothes and food. A drop-off donation centre has been set up in Glasgow, at this address:

Est-ethics clinic, 170 Ingram Street, Unit 6, Italian Center, Glasgow G1 1DN

See here to find out which items they require for donation.

Additionally, the university has reportedly contacted affected students and staff to ‘offer targeted assistance’. If the disaster has impacted you, follow the university’s instructions to secure a hardship fund for financial support. For further support, students are directed to the Student Support Service.