Our journalists covering the Earthquakes

Hello, my name is Lena Arkawi, and I am the founder and CEO of Sourceable, a startup empowering citizen journalists to tell their stories to the world from places of conflict and crisis. My team on the ground in Turkey and the wider region has been severely impacted by the earthquake. Many of our journalists lost their families and homes. My team and I are currently raising funds to help our journalists rebuild their lives. The money will be wired via Western Union or Paypal directly to our journalists in Gaziantep.

If you need more information about this campaign, or would like to help our journalists, please reach us at [email redacted]o

DETAILS

The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that devastated Turkey and the wider region last Monday, has also devastated the most vital members of our Sourceable team: our citizen journalists on the ground in Turkey and the surrounding countries. One of our journalists, Ahmed, (name changed for his protection), lost several members of his family and his home. Despite the risks to his personal safety and the extremely cold temperatures, he continues to document the events so the world can see the tragedies as they unfold.

Another one of our citizen journalists, Ahmed, is living in Gaziantep, Turkey. He also lost his home on Monday, and is now displaced with his wife and four young children. Ahmed is documenting the aftermath of the earthquakes live, which you can view his journey here: https://sourceable.info/explore

Sourceable is grounded on the ideals and bravery of our citizen journalists, and we especially seek to support them in this time. All donations collected from this fundraiser will go directly to our citizen journalists, enabling them to access vital aid and support them in rebuilding their lives.

We are currently supporting the livelihoods of 10 citizen journalists in Turkey and the wider region. All of them have been severely impacted by this crisis.

BACKGROUND ON THE EARTHQUAKES AND CRISIS

On February 6, 2023, powerful earthquakes struck the region encompassing southeast Turkey and the surrounding countries. With the death toll already over 20,000, it is expected to rise, with aftershocks, harsh winter weather, and loss of vital public infrastructure hampering rescue efforts.

The surrounding areas have already been devastated by the over a decade of civil unrest, the earthquake has greatly impacted the communities of 4.1 million people, many of them displaced by the conflict and living in camps, that already depend on vital cross-border humanitarian aid. According to the UN, such aid and international support efforts in Turkey's southern country are already deeply underfunded and struggling to cope. The earthquake represents the latest event to affect these vulnerable communities displaced by civil war and affected by cholera and severe winter conditions.