On February 6th, my father’s hometown of Kahramanmaraş was at the epicenter of the 7.8 earthquake that’s killed 50,000 people. The New York Times has released a satellite map of the city as it stands today.
I initially intended to use Flat Ink as a platform to fundraise generally for the Turkish community. However, after hearing more and more news, I need to take the opportunity to make sure my family has what they need. As far as I know, we've currently lost 35 members of the family, and the rest from Maraş have lost everything. Three of my father's young cousins have just lost their parents, and are greatly in need of aid.
My sister will probably put it more succinctly than me, so in her own words:
My family lost everything: some their lives, the rest their homes, possessions, friends, livelihoods, and security. Please consider donating to help provide urgent necessities for them, such as shelter, relocation costs, clothing and food. The funds will be sent to my father (Murat Sümbül) who will be in Turkey for the next month or so to help our family cope with their losses.
He will disperse the funds first to my cousin Sema who gave birth this week in Kahramanmaraş, as well as my father’s three young cousins who have just lost their parents, Fatma and Mehmet, to the earthquake. Included are some photos of my family before the earthquake happened as well as photos of the aftermath/tents they are taking shelter in. The rest of the money donated will go towards rent and medical bills for our other surviving relatives and neighbors. Anything and everything is appreciated, including simply sharing the link.
Please take the time and donate what you can here: Donate
Thank you to the Turkish writers community for their help and support of earthquake survivors. There's much more to say, but for now I want to be brief to make sure I get my family the help they need. Flat Ink, like everything I do, is ultimately dedicated to my family. The Bilgiçs, Sümbüls, and others under all our names.
I've been very glad to have found such a wonderful community among writers, and I hope that we maintain a community with full compassion for each other and our circumstances. If you do have the means to donate, I would be eternally grateful to you.
Since the earthquake, I've been reminded of the dedication I read on a bench downtown: In This World You Are Missed. It stuck with me for its simplicity. I used to rewrite it on journal pages and dedicate it over and over to lost family— my mother’s mother, my great-grandparents, my great-aunts and uncles. Now I think of my grandfather and his grandfathers, still in Maraş, and those that have gone to join them too soon.
I'll continue to update this article with names of family as they're given to me, but for now:
In remembrance of Mehmet, Fatma, and everyone else we've lost this past month, our family or otherwise— in this world you are missed.
Thank you and teşekkürler,
Dilara
Dilara Sümbül is a writer from San Francisco and student at UC Berkeley. She is the editor-in-chief, and the descendent of Maraş, Istanbul, Almaty, and their literature.
