Several thousand people have fallen victim to the earthquake disaster in the Turkish-Syrian border region - and many are still missing. Countless people 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," emphasizes Rector Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Schwick. Many students, teaching staff and employees of Fachhochschule Dortmund have close contacts in both countries and are in contact with family and friends there. "Having to follow the situation from afar and not being able to lend a hand on site is particularly stressful for this group of people," emphasizes the Rector.
But there are also opportunities to get involved in Dortmund. For example, the "Train of Hope" association(Opens in a new tab) has called for donations in kind, especially in the form of warm clothing, which will be brought to the crisis region. The "Grenzenlose Wärme" association(Opens in a new tab) founded by students at Fachhochschule Dortmund supports this appeal.
The German Central Institute for Social Issues (DZI) has compiled a donation information package with the names, addresses and account numbers of aid organizations that are supporting those affected by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. These organizations bear the DZI seal of approval as a sign of special eligibility for support. The DZI is supported by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Fachhochschule Dortmund supports students in difficult situations with counseling and other support services - such as the Psychological Student Counseling Service(Opens in a new tab) , the General Student Counseling Service, the International Office and the AStA(Opens in a new tab) . Students can find individual help here. There are company social contact persons(Opens in a new tab) for teaching staff and employees.