"The need, it's big": Minnesota-based nonprofit is asking for help for aid in Syria

MINNEAPOLIS – As response to the earthquake in Syria and Turkey nears the one month mark, efforts to help are continuing to grow. 

Reports estimate close to 50,000 were killed in the wreckage while countless others are still out of their homes.

In Minneapolis, the non-profit organization Alight has partnered with Questscope – a Jordan-based humanitarian group working to do boots-on-the-ground assistance.

Since the quake, local donations have supported more than a half-dozen shelters in the Aleppo region, feeding thousands of survivors. 

"People were starving," said Questscope CEO Muthanna Khriesat. "And people were starving before because there's a war, a sanction, no income."

Khriesat was able to visit the shelters just days ago. 

"This trip transformed me as a human," he said. "The way that I think about how fast people's lives can be destroyed is bad…We have to do more."

Previous efforts have focused largely on providing food, pillows and blankets. Now, Khriesat says the emphasis is on making repairs to homes with minimal damage so people can return home. 

"You don't feel mission accomplished [right now]," he said. "Because when you go there and see the need, it's big."

The group is also working to feed people in the meantime, he says. For just $35, you can feed an entire family for one week. 

"Any amount of support can make a big, huge difference," he said.

Donation information can be found on both the Questscope and Alight websites.