On February 6, 2021, Necla Camuz, 33, and her two-week-old son Yagiz were on the second floor of their flat in Samandag, a town in Turkey’s Hatay province, when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit. Ms. Camuz attempted to run to her husband Irfan and other son Yigit in the next room but became trapped by falling masonry. She was able to survive on her breast milk and stayed in constant communication with rescue workers until they were able to tunnel to her and pull her out alive.
Ms Camuz said, “I think if my baby hadn’t been strong enough to handle this, I wouldn’t have been either.” Other survivors who were pulled from rubble in Gaziantep province and Adiyaman include Sibel Kaya, 40, who survived 170 hours and a four-year-old girl named Miray who was rescued after 178 hours.
The known death toll of the devastating earthquake has risen above 37,000 in Turkey and Syria. In Turkey, shelters are housing 1 million people and in Syria, 5,714 are confirmed dead.
If you would like to help those affected by the earthquake there are several ways you can donate. You can go to dec.org.uk or donation.dec.org.uk/turkey-syria-earthquake-appeal or call the DEC’s Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal on 0370 60 60 610.
