Community champion Abid Hussain has visited Turkey to help out following the devastating earthquakes that hit the region last month.
Abid, who visited three different camps across Gaziantep and Antakya from Sunday, February 19 until Friday, February 24 helped distribute meals, drinks, and tents to those affected by the devastation, and has called the experience ‘scary’.
The community champion paid for his flights to visit the country, just under £600 out of his own pocket, as he says he didn’t believe in taking expenses from the more than £10,500 the charity raised.
Donations to the Oldham Greenhills Community Trust Turkey and Syria earthquake fund can be made through Sumup.
In Oldham, Hussain works at Oldham Greenhill Community Sports and Recreation Club, as well as a Latics academy sports coach.
Abid said: “They wanted the food, to be honest. They were hungry, they needed help. They wanted whatever help we could give out there.
“People were coming in their hundreds and thousands and they don’t know when the next meal is that they’re going to get.
“It’s not just a couple of cities, it’s about 10 different cities and we were in two or three places with a couple charities out there.”
Abid said he was meeting people of ‘all ages’ who had been affected by the disaster.
He continued: “All ages, there were families, parents, grandparents, generations, as well as individuals.
“They were living in tents, only one camp I saw had buildings. Conditions were cold, nighttime is really, really cold. We didn’t access the tents inside but when we saw one or two we could see they had a duvet, they were sleeping on the floor.
“It was difficult, I couldn’t believe it. It could have been us. When you see some of the people out there, it’s just heartbreaking to be honest.
“I couldn’t imagine, when you look at the building, it’s fallen on someone and somebody’s died.”
Abid said the city of Gaziantep had been ‘destroyed’.
“Even the taxi driver we had was slowing down, even he hadn’t seen it. To be honest I was scared, thinking what could happen here,” Abid added.
Abid continued: “The roads were broken I was worried the taxi would tip in, you’ve got the houses either side with the buildings knocked over.”
The community champion says he is planning to revisit Turkey in April.
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