Thanks to the extensive solidarity campaign, the Belgian media raised 1.8 million euros on 6 March for the victims of the earthquake in Syria and Turkey. That is three times more than the average donated in one day so far.
On February 12, the seven aid organizations that are part of the Consortium 12-12 (Caritas International, Doctors of the World, Handicap International, Oxfam-Belgium, Plan International Belgium, Red Cross-Flanders and Unicef Belgium) jointly launched a call for financial support . So far it has raised 11.6 million euros, 15 percent of which last Monday thanks to the action.
Almost the entire media landscape was colored by the action all day long. Both on the French-speaking and the Dutch-speaking side, a cover of Birdy’s song ‘People help the people’ was heard several times on radio and television channels. In addition, the VRT-RTBF tower was lit up in the colors of 12-12.
“This generosity is essential,” said Gilles De Moortel, coordinator of the Consortium. “Millions of people need everything: shelter, drinking water, health care, food, blankets, clothing, but also psychosocial help, education and protection.”
The call from 12-12 will run until July 31. In a week’s time, the organizations will publish a first report with their actions in Syria and Turkey. All released information is available at www.1212.be.
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