Harrowing reports of devastation from the earthquake zone in southern Turkey and northern Syria have prompted action from people in Perth.
Local people have left their work to drive donations of essential aid to a depot in Edinburgh while others frantically contact friends and family to hear if they are okay.
And Tesco in Perth's Edinburgh Road has responded with its own collection of vital stock items like nappies and wipes.
On Monday at 4.17am local time a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey near the city of Gaziantep, devastating parts of Turkey and Syria. It was followed by a series of powerful aftershocks.
Then at 1.24pm local time, a second earthquake of 7.5 magnitude hit the Elbistan district around 80 miles north of Gaziantep.
Reports suggest that over 20,000 have been killed as hundreds of buildings collapsed, and figures for dead and injured continue to rise.
The Turkish Red Crescent (Kizilay) has launched a crisis response operation and mobilised teams in more than 10 regions across the country, while the Syrian Arab Red Crescent is delivering assistance and support to those in need in the regions of Hama, Aleppo and Lattakia.
In Perth, owner of Ada Turkish Barber Shop at 41 High Street, Omer Akkaya (35) and his wife Emine (32), who works at the cafe at Tesco in Edinburgh Road, are shocked by what has happened.
He told the PA: “My family come from Istanbul and the Black Sea area, so I’m not directly affected.
“But I’ve learned that one of my old, old school friends has died in a collapsed building.
“Another friend and his family are still in a building damaged by the quake. It’s terrible. Hard to accept this has happened.”
Omer continues to work and local residents have asked what they can do to help.
The barber shop has seen donation bags arrive in the past days. He’s involved now in a transport run to the Turkish Consulate in Edinburgh which is coordinating donations to Turkey.
Omer explained: "Donations from everywhere including Perth, items such as dresses, jeans, jackets, pads, baby food, diapers, were collected by trucks, repackaged, and will go to Turkey."
Emine, whose family come from the Gaziantep area at the epicentre of the first quake on Monday, has rallied her employer, Tesco to get items off its shelves at Perth’s Edinburgh Road and away to where the aid is needed.
A Perth school dinner lady, originally from Turkey, also anxiously waits for news. Nursen Bilginer – known to Scottish pals as Nelson – drove to Edinburgh on Thursday with more aid donations.
By night she is a driver for Cardo Restaurant and she wants to help the thousands of people living without water and shelter in the disaster zone so she packed her car with baby food and nappies.
Dunkeld-based chef at The Craft Diner roadside cabin Orkun Cevik, himself from Turkey, put up a black ribbon on his social media and on Friday, posted that he would start a donation jar appeal for the next 30 days.
"The cash from every single hot drink will be donated to charity in Turkey. And I can only hope to generate more money. My heart breaks," he said.
Perth Minorities Association put out a post in solidarity with all people touched by the disaster: “Pray for Turkey, Syria and all other countries affected by earthquakes.”
On Wednesday the UK Government announced further support to Turkey and Syria following the devastating earthquakes. The UK will provide vital items such as tents and blankets to help survivors cope with the freezing conditions, as part of its immediate response to the crisis.
The UK is also providing a world-class team of UK medics with surgical capabilities and equipment to provide vital emergency treatment.
The UK is coordinating closely with the Turkish government and UN in Syria to ensure its support meets the needs on the ground.
