NEWS

         

The earthquake in Turkey and Syria has left a trail of death, destruction and immense suffering in its wake. Entire towns and cities have been devastated, making it the deadliest earthquake to hit the region in over a century.  

The needs in the short, mid and long term are overwhelming, and local governments, as always, are at the front line of the response, caring for their citizen’s needs. In view of the dramatic situation, some of Metropolis’ Turkish members are urging us to create direct channels to donate to the affected Metropolitan Municipalities. These direct donations can help strengthen and articulate the financial capacities of the city authorities towards the multiple emergency and recovery expenses.

Together, as a global community of metropolises, we can make a real impact and provide much-needed assistance to those affected by the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Let us come together in solidarity to support fellow cities in this time of need. 

1. If you wish to directly support the worst affected Metropolis member, the Metropolitan Municipality of Gaziantep has opened a bank account to receive international contributions directly. The account is:
 

2. If your city would like to make a donation, but a direct contribution via international bank transfer is not possible, please get in touch with Ms. Agnès Bickart (abickart@metropolis.org), and we will provide an alternative mechanism to channel the contribution.

3. If you would like to establish bilateral cooperation between your metropolis and one of the worst affected metropolitan municipalities to contribute to the next stages of recovery (re-establishment of services, support to victims, reconstruction), please write to Ms. Teresa Oliver  (toliver@metropolis.org), and we will facilitate direct links.

4. If you intend to support immediate humanitarian relief to the areas of Turkey and Syria that have been affected, please support internationally accredited humanitarian organizations that are well established on the ground.
 

The Secretariat General of Metropolis will continue working with the affected members to provide support and channel solidarity. We hope that we can express solidarity also in person to the mayors of the affected cities in June in Brussels, during the Metropolis World Congress and Brussels Urban Summit. Until then, we welcome your ideas and suggestions for an effective response to this terrible tragedy.

Sincerely,

Jordi Vaquer 
Metropolis Secretary General