SHS – Stahl-Holding-Saar (SHS) with Dillinger and Saarstahl donate EUR 100,000 for people affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria

“The earthquakes in Turkey and Syria and the aftereffects for the people in the region have prompted great concern throughout the company,” said Dr. Karl-Ulrich Köhler, Chairman of the Board of Management of SHS – Stahl-Holding Saar and CEO of Dillinger and Saarstahl. “The number of dead and missing continues to rise, and survivors are faced with the ruins that once were their homes. Many employees have relatives or friends in the region who are affected. This makes it all the more important to show solidarity now and help these people quickly and efficiently with our donation of EUR 100,000.”

50,000 euros support the emergency aid of the German Red Cross (DRK) in the earthquake area and enable fast and flexible aid measures. So far, more than 125 tons of relief goods have been brought to Turkey by plane and truck, including blankets, family tents, camp beds and hygiene packages. A first DRK relief flight to Syria had a total of 20 tons of relief supplies on board: in addition to medical consumables, urgently needed medicines in particular. In view of the enormous extent of the destruction, one thing is already certain: the DRK is preparing for a long-term commitment to dealing with the disaster in both countries. In Syria, the DRK has been supporting the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) for years in the areas of health care, humanitarian and medical logistics and capacity building. In Turkey, the DRK works closely with the Turkish Red Crescent (TRH) in the field of mental health care, especially for Syrian refugees in the country.

Together with local NGOs, AWO International is distributing relief supplies such as food, warm blankets and medicines and is also preparing longer-term aid measures to support people in the affected regions in their emergency. "Thanks to the close cooperation with our four local partner organizations in Turkey and Syria, we were able to provide the people with drinking water, food and warm blankets in the first few days after the earthquake. At the same time, we are preparing further aid for 40,000 affected people in Turkey and Syria," says Ingrid Lebherz, Managing Director of AWO International. "We would like to thank SHS – Stahl-Holding-Saar and the subsidiaries Dillinger and Saarstahl for the generous donation, which supports our aid projects.

The good contacts of AWO International in Turkey and Syria guarantee that the help arrives exactly where it is most urgently needed," says Ingrid Lebherz happily.