Co-op is making a £100,000 donation to the Disasters Emergency Committee in support of its appeal following the earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria.

In the early hours of 6th February, a series of strong earthquakes occurred in southern Turkey and shook the Turkish-Syrian border region, resulting in thousands of fatalities and tens of thousands of injuries, causing notable material damage in both countries and affecting millions of people across the region.

Rebecca Birkbeck, Co-op’s director of community and member participation said: “We’re deeply saddened by the scenes in the aftermath of the earthquake. People have been left without shelter in freezing winter conditions, with humanitarian needs expected to grow in the coming days.

“We know our members and customers will want to help and we're proud to be coming together with other co-operative societies and the wider Co-op movement, as well as our Nisa colleagues to collectively support this appeal.”

Based on the initial estimates, total economic losses were anticipated to reach well into the billions. As of 10th February, Aon’s Impact Forecasting team said the number of fatalities stood at 21,000.

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