ADANA, Turkey – The massive humanitarian effort to help Turkey’s earthquake victims is like running an ultra-marathon as CBN’s Operation Blessing perseveres in some of the hardest-hit areas.
More than 400 people died here in Adana after several buildings collapsed from the earthquakes. Despite this, the city is still a refuge for an estimated 1.9 million displaced people and a hub for Operation Blessing where they gather food and supplies.
“Everyone here knows someone, whether it be family or friends, someone who has died or their home is destroyed and their life is utterly shattered,” said Benjamin Brittain with Operation Blessing.
CLICK HERE to Help Operation Blessing Provide Relief Effort in Turkey
Brittain and his team on the ground in the region of Hatay remain steadfast in their commitment to serving the people of Turkey. More than 9 million people are affected, and many have fled to major metropolitan cities like Adana – living in tents and temporary shelters.
Brittain says despite the damage and destruction, Adana remains a lifeline for the villages their team serves in Hatay where an estimated 40% of deaths occurred. They travel to Adana several times a week to collect valuable goods and food for the people in hard-to-reach areas.
“The supplies consist of food items in bulk – like food boxes as well as rice, beans, oil, and sugar; as well as hygiene supplies,” Brittain said. “We’re serving at least 500 people per day – sometimes more in terms of the hot food we’re serving. And from there we’re distributing about 300 boxes of food.”
Brittain has witnessed the destruction firsthand and survived an earthquake himself while serving on the ground.
“The destruction is not going away,” he said. “It’ll be years to start slowly rebuilding their homes or businesses. This is not a short-term problem by any means.”
Even though the recovery and healing effort seems hopeless some days, Brittain trusts God to sustain his team and the people he serves.
“Although there is a lot of damage and it can seem hopeless, Jesus can provide hope and be there with them in the darkness.”
***Please sign up for CBN News Mid-Day Updates and Breaking News Alerts to get the latest news from The Christian Perspective.***
The remainder of this article is available in its entirety at CBN