RICHMOND, Va. — Ali Haynes Ansari lives in Richmond, but his heart is 5,600 miles away with his friends and family in Turkey.
His family overseas is currently seeking shelter in a mosque that serves as their temporary home.
“Physically they are okay, but mentally they are in shock,” Ansari explained.
Authorities said the death toll from Monday’s devastating earthquakes and aftershocks in southeastern Turkey and northern Syriatopped 5,000 victims on Tuesday.
The aftershocks made searching the rubble of thousands of collapsed buildings dangerous as rescuers pulled children and adults from the debris.
“I asked my sister if they could go outside, and she said no because it’s snowing there and raining. In 24 hours, they just ate soup one time, and they couldn’t find bread there because all shops were closed. They don’t have electricity,” Ansari stated.
Ansari and his family left Afghanistan to escape the Taliban about 25 years ago. They first sought refuge in Iran, but later left for Turkey for better opportunities.
Ansari and his wife now live in Richmond, where he is a photographer and documentarian. But his family in Turkey fears what their future will look like now.
“Honestly I wish I was there to do something to help,” he said.
Hakan Atasever serves as executive director of the American Turkish Friendship Association (ATFA) based in Northern Virginia. He estimates about 1,000 Turkish families have made the Commonwealth their permanent home since the 1990s.
“These massive earthquakes destroyed almost most of the places, most of the houses in 10 cities,” he explained.
Turkey is currently experiencing a hard winter, which is only complicating the relief efforts.
Some of their AFTA members have lost relatives in the earthquake. Other family members still can’t be reached due to power outages.
“The American Turkish community is an active community and active part of the Virginia community,” Atasever said. “We specifically work to meet the socially, cultural, and spiritual needs of the people living here.”
He thanked the faith leaders and communities who have reached out to express their sympathy.
Atasaver said there’s not much they can do so far away other than prayer and sending monetary donations.
AFTA is working with Embrace Relief to help the earthquake victims and rebuild efforts.
“Our people are very active in volunteering and humanitarian projects, donating and being part of the community,” Atasaver said.
