Guernsey government gives £15,000 to earthquake victims

Shelterbox is working in parts of Southern Turkey which have been devastated by the earthquake

Guernsey's government has announced a £15,000 donation to help victims of the Turkey and Syria earthquake.

The Overseas Aid & Development Commission (OA&DC) has pledged £10,000 to Cornwall-based charity Shelterbox and £5,000 to Aquabox in Derbyshire.

It matches £15,000 donated by Rotary Guernesiais to the two charities, as part of a partnership between the rotary club and the commission.

It follows more than £50,000 donated to the cause previously.

A spokesperson for the commission said "the scale of the disaster was immense", with latest reports suggesting the total deaths have exceeded 50,000 people.

They added the disaster had left 1.5 million people homeless.

The commission distributes money provided by the States of Guernsey to charities undertaking development and humanitarian work in the world's least developed countries.

The disaster relief charity Shelterbox is providing transitional housing and essential household items in Southern Turkey and thermal blankets, tents, mattresses, household items and winter clothing in Northwest Syria.

The second charity to receive a donation, Aquabox, provides water filters and items to aid shelter, lighting, cooking and feeding, educational development and hygiene.

'Caring community'

In February, the commission donated £25,000 to the UK Disasters and Emergency Fund (DEC) Appeal, plus £25,000 match funding to the Bailiff's Disaster Relief Fund, to help earthquake victims.

It has also matched £8,215 raised by primary schools for the DEC.

Deputy Chris Blin, president of OA&DC, said: "The current effort, along with other local fund raising initiatives for survivors of the earthquake shows what a caring community we are."

Diane Ward, president of Rotary Guernesiais, said that the organisation "very much welcomed co-operating with the States of Guernsey in such a way".

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