The news of the earthquakes and aftershocks that hit southern Turkey and parts of Syria yesterday are incredibly tragic and devastating.
AFS Turkey has confirmed that all of our hosted participants and their host families throughout Turkey are safe. AFS had no participants hosted in Syria.
We are, however, devastated by the loss of AFS alumna and volunteer Ege Okant, and the loved ones of AFSers who have died in or been injured by this tragedy. Our hearts and condolences go out to the grieving families, their loved ones and the entire community affected by this disaster.
We encourage the AFS community to offer their support through official disaster response channels, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and other trusted organizations.