The London-based English Premier League club, Arsenal, has reached out to the UK’s Muslim community to help those affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria last week.
“They contacted us; we have this good relation with them. They offered to provide food, some other material and necessary items to the victims as well to those affected by the earthquake,” Mohammed Kozbar, Chairperson of the Finsbury Park Mosque in North London, told Anadolu Agency (AA).
A devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Turkey and Syria on February 6.
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The earthquake hit at 4:17 am, followed by aftershocks as large as 6.4 and 6.5 magnitudes respectively only minutes later, leaving more than 33,000 people dead across both Turkey and Syria.
It has caused extensive damage across multiple cities and towns. Currently, ongoing rescue operations are taking place on the ground in a desperate bid to save lives.
Arsenal extended condolences to the victims on Twitter, saying, “We are truly saddened to hear of the tragic events. Our thoughts are with all those who are affected.”
We are truly saddened to hear of the tragic events in Turkey and Syria.
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 7, 2023
Our thoughts are with all those who are affected.
More Efforts
On the other hand, Arsenal said they reached out to their global charity partner, Save the Children, to explore how they can show support.
“We wanted to let the Arsenal family know how we are standing in solidarity with those affected by the disaster, and how we can all show support,” a statement on Arsenal website read.
“Through The Arsenal Foundation, we have granted a donation to Save the Children’s appeal to further support children, families and local communities devastated by this tragic humanitarian disaster.
“In addition to our donation to Save the Children, we are also exploring how we can work together with our long-standing partner HIS Church, a charity we previously worked with to deliver more than 500,000 meals during the covid-19 lockdown, to support the disaster response by the Turkish community in north London.”