THE communities of 16 schools in Newport have joined forces in the space of just a few days to come to the aid of earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria.

Staff, pupils and their families have all taken part in the huge effort, donating warm clothing and essential items to the appeal.

At Maindee Primary School, hundreds of boxes are piled high before being sent by road to the two countries, where thousands of people have lost their homes and lives.

For one teaching assistant at the school, the appeal has an extremely personal connection.

Zeynep Firat is from Turkey, and described to the Argus how she had lost contact with two family members there for several days, waiting for news that they had survived.

'Worrying' wait for news

"Both had lost their homes, they are outside in tents, there's no clean water, there's no food," she said. "Help arrived late, on the third day."

Ms Firat only found out her relatives were alive because she saw them in a photograph on social media, and was able to contact them via a third-party.

"We couldn't get through to them [directly]," she said. "They have no electricity, they can't charge their phones.

"It's worrying."

This prompted the school into action, and the headteacher Jo Cueto reached out to a London-based charity, Birchwood Housing CIC, that was organising the delivery of donations from the UK.

Vital supplies of baby food, nappies, wipes, tents, sleeping bags, warm clothing and tinned food are all now on their way from Newport to the two earthquake-stricken countries.

South Wales Argus: Volunteers sort donations at Maindee Primary School.Volunteers sort donations at Maindee Primary School. (Image: Newsquest)

'Amazing' response in Newport

"It's been amazing," Ms Firat said of the response. "We don't know how to say thank you."

Many of the people helping out at the school on Thursday have family connections to Turkey and Syria, and some have lost loved ones in the disaster.

"This means a lot," Ms Firat said of the support the appeal had received. "It shows how we as a community are so close and how supportive it is."

Meanwhile, Newport’s Turkish Kurdish community has called on the government to allow them to bring their family members to the UK on short-term visas to ensure they are safe.

At least 35,000 people have died since the earthquakes struck southern Turkey and northern Syria on Monday, February 6, while UN high commissioner for refugees, Sivanka Dhanapala, warned as many as 5.3 million Syrians have been left homeless.