Bulgarians are responding to donation campaigns initiated to aid Türkiye and Syria, where the powerful earthquakes on February 6 have left more than 21 000 people dead, many thousands seriously injured and have caused extensive destruction of buildings.
The Bulgarian Red Cross, drawing on funds raised in its campaign to help the two countries, transferred the first sum on February 9 to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies: 480 000 leva for Türkiye and 320 000 leva for Syria.
On February 6, the Bulgarian Red Cross transferred, from its own disaster fund, 5000 Swiss francs to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in response to its urgent appeal, which is seeking 200 million Swiss frances to help the Red Crescent societies in Türkiye and Syria.
Details of items needed and of the bank account to donate to the Bulgarian Red Cross’s campaign may be found, in English, on the organisation’s website.
Bulgarian publisher Manol Peykov, who launched a campaign to gather urgently-needed items and funds following the February 6 earthquakes, said on Facebook on February 9 that by that point, more than 700 000 leva had been raised.
Peykov said that on February 9, he had spent 210 579 leva of that sum, itemising each of the purchases, which included clothing, tents and 24 tons of flour.
The first consignments of items donated have already left for Türkiye and plans are afoot to supply assistance to Syrians.
Donations of items for the campaign initiated by Peykov may be made at a number of addresses and he has posted details of how to contribute funds.
The addresses, all open from 10am to 5pm unless otherwise stated, are
McCann Agency, 23 Shipka Street, Sofia.
Maria Tonchina Humanitarian Center in Sofia, block 425A, Mladost 4, Sofia, telephone 0877 131 139.
Intellect Language School, first floor, 70-72 Cherni Vruh Boulevard, Lozenets, Sofia, telephone 0878 794 231.
Intellect Language School, entrance two, first floor, 261A Andrey Lyapchev Boulevard, Mladost 2, Sofia, telephone 0876 977 966.
Intellect Language School, second floor, apartment 3, 1A Topli Dol Street, Borovo, Sofia, telephone 0878 305 930.
Milena Naidenova, ground floor, 20 Tsar Ivan Alexander Street, Plovdiv (opposite the Boris Christoff House of Culture).
Manol Peykov, Zhanet 45 Publishing House, 9 Stamboliyski Boulevard, Plovdiv, telephone 0889 377 723.
Deniz Mutlu, 13 Trudovak Street, Plovdiv, telephone 0893 906 404. Open from 9am to 9pm throughout the week, including Sundays.
Office of the Centre for Local Initatives and Development Assenovgrad, third floor, 34 Tsar Assen Street, Assenovgrad.
The bank account for donations is held in the name of Manol Kostadinov Peykov, and the reason for transferring money should be stated as for the victims of the earthquake. The IBAN of the account, held at D Commerce Bank, is BG39DEMI92405000305527 and the BIC is BIC: DEMIBGSF.
The Bcause Foundation said in a media statement that it had become part of the mobilisation of the CAF International network in the first hours after the tragedy.
Donations may be made to the Bcause Foundation’s campaign by sending an SMS with the text “DMS TRUS” to number 17777. Donations also may be made online.
Bulgaria’s caretaker Defence Minister Nikolai Stoyanov said on February 9 that the Air Force was ready to send as many flights as requested to Türkiye.
Five flights already have taken place. Stoyanov said that he expected that there would be one or two flights on February 11, a rotation of some members of the rescue teams that Bulgaria has sent.
Caretaker Prime Minister Gulub Donev issued an appeal on February 9 for compassion for the victims of the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, and said that on February 10, flags on all administrative buildings should be lowered to half-mast.
source: sofiaglobe.
