Several thousand people have fallen victim to the earthquake disaster in the Turkish-Syrian border region - and many are still missing. Countless have lost their homes. The World Health Organization speaks of a total of more than 20 million people affected.
“Our thoughts are with the people in the affected regions in Syria and Turkey”, says the Rector Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Schwick. Many students, teachers and employees of Fachhochschule Dortmund - University of Applied Sciences and Arts have close contacts in both countries and are in touch with families or friends there. “Having to witness the situation from afar and not being able to help out on site is particularly stressful for them”, emphasizes the Rector.
But you can also get involved in Dortmund. For example, the refugee aid association “Train of Hope”(Opens in a new tab) asked for donations, especially for warm clothing, which will be brought to the crisis region. The association Refuee Relief Work “Grenzenlose Wärme”(Opens in a new tab) , founded by students of Fachhochschule Dortmund, supports this initiative.
The German Central Institute for Social Issues (DZI) has compiled a donation info pack with the names, addresses and bank account numbers of relief organizations supporting those affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. These organizations bear the DZI Donation Seal as a sign of special eligibility. The DZI is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Fachhochschule Dortmund supports students in difficult situations, among other things, with counseling and other support offers - such as Psychological Counseling Services(Opens in a new tab) , the General Student Advisory Services, the International Office and the AStA(Opens in a new tab) . If you have been affected by this situation, you can find individual help here. Teachers and staff members can contact in-house social contact persons(Opens in a new tab) .