People Rush to Donate Supplies to Quake Victims 土敘強震 台灣基進高雄黨部急募物資

The death toll from the Turkey-Syria earthquakes has risen to more than 15,000. The Taiwan Statebuilding Party's Kaohsiung headquarters answered the call from Turkey's representative office in Taiwan to collect supplies for victims. Turkey's representative office in Taiwan reminded the public that only supplies on its list of items should be donated and they should be "all new" or "unused."

The trolley is piled with supplies, including tents, blankets for children and adults, and winter clothing. They were all donated and delivered by a Kaohsiung resident. She said she's a mother of four and can't bear to see all the children who are suffering after the Turkey and Syria earthquake on Feb. 6, so she wanted to do her part.

Donor: “I told my children, look at how pitiful the children (in the disaster area) are, we need to donate our things to them.”

Donor: “(How did you hear the news?) Someone was talking about it in a group chat.”

Turkey's representative office in Taiwan has issued an appeal for supplies. The Taiwan Statebuilding Party's Kaohsiung headquarters started accepting supplies donated by the public on Feb. 8. The office was completely filled after one day and it has stopped accepting supplies. The supplies will be organized and then sent to Taiwan's rep office in Turkey.

Chang Po-yang, Chair, Kaohsiung Headquarters, TSP: “This activity was a response to the donation drive of Turkey's representative office in Taiwan. Less than one day, 24 hours after we launched it, the hallways and reception area of our party headquarters were completely filled with supplies generously donated by the public, as you can see. I was very touched when I returned to the HQ yesterday.”

Some people left supplies outside the headquarters' entrance, which ended up stolen by others. The headquarters reminded people not to take advantage of others' goodness or break the law. Less than one day after Turkey's rep office issued the appeal, it received 3,000 emails and phone calls from the public about how to help. Meanwhile, the mayors of the six special municipalities are donating one month's salary. The rep office reminded the public that only supplies on its list of items should be donated and they should be "all new" or "unused." On Feb. 8, Kaohsiung illuminated the Love River area and six nearby bridges in "Turkish blue" as a show of support for Turkey and Syria.

手推車裝滿整車，裡頭有帳篷、大人小孩的毛毯等避寒衣物。這名家住高雄岡山區的小姐，一早開車送來；她說自己是4個孩子的媽，不捨強震中受苦的孩子，希望盡一份心力。

捐贈物資民眾說：「我有教導小朋友就是，你看（災區）小朋友他們那麼可憐，我們要把我們有的物資，都拿出去捐給他們。」

捐贈物資民眾表示：「有一個群組，然後有人在傳（募資訊息）。」

響應土耳其駐台辦事處對外招募物資，台灣基進高雄黨部8日受理民眾捐物資，協助整理後運往土耳其駐台辦事處。短短1天，高雄黨部被物資擠得寸步難行，目前暫停收取。

台灣基進高雄黨部主委張博洋表示：「我們這個活動其實是，響應土耳其駐台辦事處的物資募集。發起其實不到1天24小時的時間，黨部可以很明顯看得出，不管是走道還是我們的接待空間，已經被民眾的愛心物資給整個塞爆了。所以昨天晚上回到辦公室的時候，非常的感動。」

還是有好心人，將物資放在黨部門口，卻也發生遭不名人士拿取的狀況。黨部呼籲民眾，別踐踏民眾愛心，以免觸法。土耳其駐台辦事處公布物資需求不到1天，就收到約3000封信和電話詢問，六都市長也捐出一個月薪資協助救災。辦事處提醒，物資須是清單所列項目以及「全新品」或「未用過」。 強震重創土耳其以及敘利亞，高雄市也從8日起，在愛河沿岸以及鄰近6座橋體，點亮「土耳其藍」的顏色傳遞祝福，也祈求土耳其、敘利亞一切平安。