LATEST UPDATES:

May 31, 2023–This month, OpUSA began distributing emergency funding to community-based partners on the ground in Turkey and Syria, making one $50,000 grant and three $25,000 grants to worthy organizations:

People in Need, an organization which OpUSA has also proudly supported with funding for Ukrainian relief, is working diligently to aid earthquake survivors in Northwest Syria. A $50,000 grant–made possible by our generous supporters–will enable PIN to further serve vulnerable groups with material aid, meals, relief supplies, multi-purpose cash assistance and home repair and reconstruction. This support is even more meaningful for Syrians as severe rain and flooding further impacts already-challenged communities.

Karam (generosity in Arabic) believes that refugee youth deserve access to the most advanced educational models and support available to overcome the traumatic experiences of war and displacement, and to build better futures for themselves and their families. Karam’s programming and initiatives support a generation of young leaders who are better able to access opportunities worthy of their promise and prepared to transform the future of their families and communities. A $25,000 grant–made possible by our generous donors–will further enable Karam to serve impacted youths by referring people to trusted and vetted medically trained partners on the ground to ensure people are receiving the necessary psycho-social support; placing a heightened focus on therapy studios to help process the trauma of losing homes, loved ones, and a sense of helplessness; and, implementing programming to ensure education is not at a halt and students do not lose a year of education.

The Ahbap Association was established to provide all kinds of help to those in need, to strengthen societies, build modern and sustainable networks of mutual assistance and to protect local culture while contributing to its development. A $25,000 grant will help enable Ahbap to further serve earthquake-impacted communities with programs including Goodness Stationary Trucks, providing school supplies and toys to children and families, Goodness Kitchens and The Oven, serving three meals a day to thousands of people, and light steel house construction, with 1,150 houses planned.

Mavi Kalem, founded in Istanbul in 2002, supports women and children affected by disasters and emergencies with access to information and services to meet their basic needs and to empower them with gender equality. The organization has been working diligently to support earthquake survivors since February, identifying needs in the region through fieldwork and distributing food, water, clothing and hygiene items to hard-hit provinces. Mavi Kalem is also implementing activities to provide psychosocial support and psychological first aid to women and children. A $25,000 grant will enable Mavi Kalem to better serve impacted populations.

Operation USA is pleased to support the meaningful activities of our partner organizations. Your donations make this possible! Thank you for your generosity. Donate now at give.opusa.org


April 12, 2023, 1:00p–Two months after the earthquakes, millions of Turks and Syrians remain vulnerable and traumatized. Recovery has only just begun. Operation USA remains committed to helping. Your donations make it possible. Visit give.opusa.org now to donate.

March 1, 2023, 10:34a–This week, on the heels of yet another large earthquake–this time a magnitude 5.2–the death toll in Turkey and Syria has surpassed 50,000. The latest tremor, in addition to bringing increased fear and mental torment to survivors of the earlier quakes, exacerbated relief and recovery obstacles, toppled hundreds more buildings, and created new and lasting challenges for the millions of people who have been impacted. Both Turkey and Syria are desperately in need of support from the humanitarian aid community.

We at OpUSA are grateful for your generous contributions to this and all ongoing relief and recovery efforts. Our capacity to help–with emergency cash grants, material aid and long-term support–is directly dependent on your support. Please consider a gift today at give.opusa.org.

February 22, 2023, 11:10a–This week, a magnitude 6.4 aftershock rocked Turkey–just 15 days after two massive quakes caused widespread destruction. The aftershock was centered in one of the hardest-hit areas, exacerbating challenges in rescue and recovery work and causing further damage and loss of life. The situation in Turkey and nearby Syria is devastating.

OpUSA is committed to helping relief efforts. We recently deployed a second truckload of medical supplies out of our warehouse in Los Angeles, in collaboration with U.S.-based partners, for delivery to Turkish hospitals. See photos here. We are also continuing to assess opportunities to provide grants. Thank you for your support in making this work possible.


February 20, 2023, 9:39a–Today, the death toll in Turkey and Syria has surpassed 47,000. Though the earthquakes lasted only moments, millions of lives were forever changed. The World Health Organization estimates as many as 26 million people will need assistance in the coming months, with millions of people rendered homeless by the disaster. On-the-ground reports from Turkey paint a bleak picture, with over a million people reportedly residing in tents and hospitals overwhelmed by the tens of thousands of injured. Aftershocks and cold winter weather have further challenged recovery efforts. COVID-19 remains an ever-present threat. Due to the overwhelming devastation, it will likely take years to assess the full extent of damage.

We at OpUSA remain committed to helping. Your donations make this possible. Thank you.

February 15, 2023, 11:25a–As the death toll in Turkey and Syria continues to climb–today topping 41,000–we at OpUSA remain committed to aiding relief and recovery efforts as much as we are able.

Yesterday, several tons of medical supplies left our warehouse in Los Angeles for delivery to partners in Turkey aiding damaged and overwhelmed hospitals and clinics. Many thanks to our partners at COPE, BStrong and GEN for this collaborative effort aimed at getting aid to Turkish partners ASAP. See photo and video of the shipment on our social media channels.

Your donations helped make this possible! Please donate to our Turkey/Syria relief efforts now at give.opusa.org.


February 13, 2023, 10:42a–As rescue and recovery efforts continue a week after two massive earthquakes devastated Turkey and Syria, today the death toll has surpassed 36,000. Even as uplifting reports of survivors being pulled from the rubble emerge, the number of dead, injured and displaced is expected to continue climbing rapidly. Damage from the quakes is overwhelming.

Operation USA remains committed to aiding relief and recovery efforts however we are able. Your donations make this work possible.


February 10, 2023, 3:17p–Despite heartwarming and hopeful stories of survivors still being pulled from the rubble in Turkey and Syria, the death toll continues to climb rapidly, today surpassing 23,000. Our hearts are will all those impacted by this terrible disaster.

OpUSA is now coordinating with partners for the shipment of material aid to impacted areas. We are currently staging various relief and recovery supplies already on hand in our warehouse for delivery to U.S. based partners who will take the items on to Turkey to aid in relief. Your donations help make this work possible.

We are also coordinating with corporate partners who can facilitate fundraising efforts aimed at supporting both emergency cash grants to Turkey- and Syria-based community organizations and long-term recovery support in both countries. Even with vital corporate support, we are also calling on the public to donate in support of earthquake relief and recovery. Damage and loss of life are overwhelming, and recovery will take years. Your donations make the difference–please give now.


February 9, 2023, 12:21p–The death toll in Turkey and Syria today climbed above 20,000. Experts fear tens or even hundreds of thousands more may be confirmed dead as search and recovery efforts continue. Hopes for finding survivors alive under the rubble are dwindling. OpUSA will continue to assess any/all opportunities to provide aid. Your support is critical to our capacity to respond, please consider donating now.


February 8, 2023, 2:05p–Today, the death toll in Turkey and Syria surpassed 12,000. Rescue and recovery efforts are rife with challenges, and reports from the ground paint a bleak picture of massive devastation, staggering loss of life and too few resources for rescue efforts–all while harsh winter weather continues. While questions emerge regarding the government’s handling of the crisis, hundreds of thousands of people await an uncertain future, and the World Health Organization estimates as many as 23 million people will be impacted by this disaster. Operation USA will continue assessing any and all opportunities to provide aid. We’re grateful for your support. Donate here.


February 7, 2023, 12:15p–The death toll in Turkey and Syria has surpassed 7,200 and is expected to continue climbing rapidly as the full extent of damage becomes known. A UN official has stated that the organization fears many of the thousands killed are children.

Rescue and recovery teams are hard at work trying to locate and rescue people buried in rubble amidst widespread devastation. Early reports say resources are too few and manpower is limited. Meanwhile, harsh winter temperatures and snowfall hinder immediate relief efforts, and millions of people across Turkey and Syria–already suffering and marginalized after years of conflict, lack of necessary resources and ongoing food insecurity–are uncertain of what the future holds.

Recovery from this disaster will take years. Please consider a gift today to help OpUSA deploy emergency grants where they’re needed most. Click here to provide urgent support now.


February 6, 2023, 10:17p–Tonight the official death toll has risen to 4,300 and counting, with tens of thousands more injured and/or displaced. Experts and aid workers expect that number to climb significantly in the days ahead. Aid groups on the ground already working on search and recovery are reporting a lack of necessary equipment and supplies, and rescue crews are overwhelmed by the vast scale of needs. In the midst of a harsh winter and in an area where millions of people were already facing displacement and hardship after years of war and conflict–and as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to challenge communities–this disaster will take a devastating toll on millions. Recovery will take years.


We at OpUSA are committed to helping however we are able in the weeks to come.
Your donations are crucial in making relief shipments and emergency grants happen. Please donate now.


February 6, 2023, 11:05a– Earlier today, two powerful magnitude 7.8-8.0 earthquakes struck Turkey, causing widespread damage across Turkey and Syria. These quakes, along with subsequent, powerful aftershocks, are the worst to strike the area in modern history.

Casualties caused by these earthquakes are staggering, with more than 2,000 people reported dead across ten Turkish provinces, and more than 12,060 injured. In already-vulnerable Syria, nearly 1,250 are reported dead with thousands more injured. Many people remain unaccounted for, and the death toll is expected to continue climbing rapidly.

Damage caused by the quakes is also devastating, with thousands of buildings collapsed, hospitals and airports destroyed and infrastructure severely damaged. The worst of the devastation is yet unknown, and will become clear in the weeks to come as search and rescue and recovery efforts get underway.

Turkish and Syrian officials have called on the international aid community to provide much-needed support for immediate and short-term recovery. Operation USA is mobilizing to provide aid however we are able. This effort is directly dependent on the generosity of you, our donors.

We will deliver material aid as soon as and as much as opportunities allow, and will begin assessing needs and identifying partners to provide emergency cash grants as much as funding allows. We are currently staging safety equipment, medical and first aid supplies and relief materials for deployment to impacted areas. Cash donations at this time will enable OpUSA to get supplies where they’re needed most, in addition to providing funding to severely-impacted community-based organizations aiding survivors. Click here to donate now.