Do Not Send Used Relief Supplies... "Delays in Distribution Due to Disinfection"

Revealed via Turkish Embassy SNS
Fake Donation and Sponsorship Sites Rampant - Caution Advised

As the death toll from the earthquake in Turkey and Syria surpasses 33,000, the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Korea, which is receiving donations, announced that "used items will not be accepted" due to potential hygiene issues.

On the 12th, the Turkish Embassy requested via social networking services (SNS) that people refrain from donating used clothing or items to Turkey, where the healthcare system has collapsed due to the earthquake, citing concerns over hygiene problems that may arise from receiving secondhand goods.

The embassy stated, "The local situation is very dire, making it impossible to disinfect and use the sent items," and added, "Since it is too urgent to disinfect all donated items at the embassy before sending them, we have decided not to accept used item donations."

Relief supplies for the Turkey earthquake gathered from all over the country are piled up at a logistics center in Incheon. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article.
Photo by Yonhap News

Furthermore, the embassy said, "Many people have lost their homes. In the disaster areas where children and women are staying, there are not only no tents to shelter in but also a lack of basic living supplies such as clothes to wear," and added, "We are working with Turkish Airlines to quickly deliver the donated items to those in need. We believe it is important to provide accurate information to our Korean brothers and sisters by clearly explaining what is urgently needed and not discouraging their willingness and intentions."

The list of items specified by the embassy includes winter tents, blankets, sleeping bags, and electric heaters. In particular, the embassy noted, "The number of tents needed from the home country alone is 300,000."

Meanwhile, some SNS posts claimed that the 'Global Business Alliance (GBA)' in Seoul is conducting joint fundraising activities with the embassy for earthquake relief, but the embassy clarified that this organization has no connection with them.

The embassy stated, "The administrator in question is a member of a terrorist organization wanted in Turkey. For this reason, there is absolutely no possibility that donations collected by this organization will be delivered to Turkey," and urged, "We ask the public who wish to donate to do so through trustworthy and well-known institutions and organizations such as our embassy, AFAD, the Turkish Red Crescent, and the Korean Red Cross."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.