British-Turkish actor Tamer Hassan has called for everyone to help Turkey and Syria “as much as they can” as he revealed he has family missing in the aftermath of the earthquakes.
The death toll now exceeds 16,000 after earthquakes and aftershocks hit Turkey and Syria early on Monday.
More survivors have been pulled from under the rubble of collapsed buildings but hopes of finding more people alive more than three days later are fading.
Speaking to Sky News, Hassan became emotional as he said: “We have family missing in these earthquakes that haven’t been found due to cold weather. We’re not hopeful. We’re quite worried.”
The Football Factory actor, 54, is currently based in Kyrenia, Cyprus, but said he is planning to head to Turkey in the coming days to assist with the relief efforts.
“We’re here raising money, sending over supplies and trying to find a route into Turkey and to the worst-affected areas,” he said.
“The biggest distress for me is that there are some areas that have been completely flattened with no help.”
Hassan, who is the father of Love Island star Belle Hassan, also asked for those around the world to help out in whatever way they can.
He said: “We’re literally reaching out to everyone around the world, everybody that can see what is happening here with this humanitarian disaster.
“We’re just holding our hands out for everyone to help as much as they can.”
The actor said that reports from people in the affected areas have highlighted that donations were needed as much as manpower on the ground.
“We know that everything is needed from medicine, water, petrol,” Hassan said.
“I’m hearing horror stories about cranes being parked up there without the manpower, people don’t know how to use them.”
As emergency crews continue to search for survivors, he said he is “frightened” that people will start to turn on each other.
“People are starting to turn to survival. The cold weather, there’s no food, there’s no water, there’s no petrol, people are freezing, people are starving and that’s my biggest fear that the people will start turning on each other. If hard, fast help doesn’t come.”
Hassan also hit out at the country’s leadership, saying: “I don’t think the government there is doing enough.
“They need to step up now and do a lot more for us and unite as one so we can all help as much as we can here.”
In addition to the thousands who have been killed in Turkey and Syria, tens of thousands more are reported to be injured and have lost their homes.