Dareen Cone 
On February 6th, a catastrophic earthquake struck southeastern Turkey and the border with Syria – causing an unprecedented 5,000+ casualties. With a 7.8 magnitude on the Richter scale, this “major” earthquake occurred across 100 kilometers (62 miles) along its fault line. Unfortunately, infrastructure in the region sustained substantial damage resulting in a devastating cross-border humanitarian tragedy. In the aftermath of the disaster, people from all corners of the globe came together to help. Through various internet platforms and social media sites, people donated money to local and international aid campaigns to provide relief for those affected by the tragedy.
Web3 World Sends Support to Turkey by Organising Earthquake Relief Campaigns
In Turkey, two of the most prominent relief efforts – AFAD Turkiye (the governmental agency for such disasters) and Ahbap NGO (led by benevolent Haluk Levent) – have been directing a surge in aid campaigns. Subsequently, Mr. Levent has declared that his organization is allowing donations via digital currencies through various crypto addresses they’ve generated.
The Web3 space has seen many companies come forward with generous contributions to aid campaigns in recovery efforts, ranging from crypto and fiat donations to physical assistance. Bitget announced they would donate 1 million Turkish liras (~$53,000), while Bitfinex, Keet, Synonym, and Tether pledged a total of 5 million liras (~$265,500). Gate.io stepped up, too, by pledging an additional 1 million liras (~$53,000).
Supports are Pouring In!
In response to the recent earthquake in Kahramanmaraş, Turkish crypto exchange Bitci announced that all their commission income from February will be donated to Ahbap’s aid campaigns. Bitci contributed over 1.2 million liras (roughly $62,000) of clothing aid and 6 million liras ($318,000) worth of financial donations together with local governments and other organizations such as Akut and AFAD, exemplifying their commitment towards helping those affected by disasters like this one.
The Turkish divisions of ByBit and OKX have committed to contributing $100,000 and 1 million liras (~$53,000) to help those affected.
NFTs Can Be Used For Aid Campaigns
In a discussion with Sebastien Borget, the co-founder and chief operating officer of The Sandbox, Cointelegraph discovered how his team has been working alongside The Sandbox Turkey to aid those affected by providing supplies. They were able to fill up an entire truck of much-needed items for victims while they also continued looking into options that ensure more long-term support.
As an inventive way to fundraise for disaster relief, NFTs are a viable option. Pak, a Turkish NFT artist, has already donated ETH to Ahbap and is working on an NFT initiative to provide sustained aid campaigns in the future. Additionally, Gate.io’s proposal includes developing its own unique NFT assistance program soon.
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