By Tanya Faulkner
Dandenong is one of many of Victoria’s city councils getting behind the earthquake relief aid of Turkey and Syria.
Following last week’s council meeting, the motion to donate $20,000 was approved by the City of Greater Dandenong council in support of those who are struggling following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that devastated Turkey and Syria on February 6th.
Cr. Jim Memeti, who moved the initial motion ahead of the council meeting, said it’s a small gesture from the council to show our community that they support them.
“In accordance with Council’s Disaster Assistance Policy, we are making this donation to show our community that we stand in solidarity with the wider Turkish community of Dandenong. Our thoughts, prayers and hearts go out to all of the victims of this event,” he said.
The Greater City of Dandenong Council Disaster policy allows council to donate up to $10,000 to a natural disaster cause, which has been done in the past. Aid efforts in Turkey and Syria will receive $10,000 for each country.
Dandenong Mayor Cr. Eden Foster released a statement prior to the council meeting saying the council is saddened to hear of the thousands of innocent people who have lost their lives from this natural disaster.
The council meeting was also attended by Imam Abdurrahman Sahin from the Turkish Islamic Cultural Centre and Mosque in Keysborough, who offered the prayer on Monday night for all the families, both here and overseas, who have been so greatly affected by the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
He had personally lost over 20 second and third generation relatives in the quake, and many others at the mosque were also deeply impacted. Several others of the Turkish community in Dandenong have also lost friends and family in the tragic earthquake.
Imam Mehmet Salih Dogan from the Emir Sultan Mosque in Dandenong also offered a prayer during the council meeting, followed by a minute’s silence led by the Mayor and an affirmation by council member Knowles Tivendale.
Alongside council’s donation to the cause, numerous other donations have also been collected across the greater Dandenong region in support of the earthquake relief efforts.
Mt Hira college raised over $10,000 at a recent school barbecue, and Dandenong ICMG raised over $135,000 to be donated to Hasene Australia to support the relief efforts abroad.
Approximately 26 million people across Turkey and Syria have now been affected by the earthquakes, with the death toll reaching over 36 thousand a week after the event, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
Further fundraising events continue to be held across the region to support those affected by the tragic earthquakes.
