AS the death toll in Turkey and Syria surpasses a harrowing 21,000 people, Novocastrians have wrapped their arms around the local Muslim community.
In just a few days, more than $21,000 in donations have poured in to help aid the country's recovery after a series of violent earthquakes hit earlier this week.
The response has been overwhelming, Mayfield Mosque president Yunus Kara said, with those who couldn't support the cause financially joining the community in prayer on Friday.
"We still get emotional sometimes, we go into tears, sometimes happy tears when we see stories like babies coming out alive after the fourth day - newborn babies born under the rubble," he said.
"We see Australians, non-Muslim Australians depositing money to the earthquake appeal and I take my hat off to the Australians.
"When it comes to help, they're number one."
Rescuers were still pulling people from the rubble on the fifth day since the quakes hit, with freezing winter conditions making recovery efforts even more difficult.
Almost 3000 buildings have collapsed across seven provinces, leaving hundreds of thousands of survivors displaced.
Mr Kara said faith has kept the Newcastle Muslim community going, as hundreds prayed for a quick recovery for the wounded and for those who died to be entered into paradise.
"We are human beings, we are believers and we believe in the oneness of God," he said.
"That's what comforts us, is knowing that they will be forsaken.
"They will be forgiven."
All of the money donated to the mosque will go to the Turkish Embassy to be donated through the Red Crescent Movement - a global humanitarian network of 80 million people who help those in disasters, conflicts and crisis.
Mr Kara said the response from the international community has been overwhelming, as countries across the globe send financial and humanitarian aid.
"It's beyond my belief," he said.
"Thousands have come with all of their equipment and donations, they did what they could do financially, physically - countries that are not really friendly with us ... they were some of the first ones to come in.
"They poured in, the human community poured into Turkey.
"May God give them goodness, I hope no nation goes through what Turkey and Syria are going through at the moment."
The World Bank has announced it will give $1.7 billion to Turkey.
Even Greece, which has long had disputes with the country, has sent financial aid and support.
According to the World Health Organisation, more than 23 million people could be affected by the earthquake - with 77 national and 13 international emergency medical teams being deployed to help amid the disaster.
To make a donation to Mayfield Mosque Earthquake Appeal, bank transfers can be made to BSB: 082612 Acc: 872229144 titled 'Earthquake'.
