Messi spoke about the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria with a request to support with donations

After a 7.7 magnitude earthquake that devastated several provinces in Turkey and Syria, Argentine footballer Lionel Messi spoke about it this Sunday, asking for help for the affected boys and girls.

With a post on his official Instagram account, the South American star asked for support in the form of donations to promote the humanitarian work of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

“Thousands of boys and girls are at risk after the devastating earthquakes that rocked Syria and Turkey. Make a donation to support UNICEF humanitarian aid,” says the image shared by Leo, showing a rescued girl in the wreckage.

However, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner wrote a few words in Spanish and English in reference to the earthquake six days ago.

“These are very sad days for the thousands of children and their families affected by the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. My heart is with them. UNICEF has been working in the area since the beginning to protect girls and boys. Your help is greatly appreciated!” — wrote the Argentinean, attaching a link for donations.

Messi auction

Several Turkish football figures have expressed their willingness to help in this tragedy, and defender Merich Demiral has put Lionel Messi’s jersey up for auction to raise funds for the victims. “We auctioned the Leo t-shirt that he wore in the game and signed,” he wrote on his Twitter account. This auction ended last Saturday, February 11, but the lender and the amount are not yet known.

Previously, Demiral managed to raise nearly €200,000 by selling a T-shirt autographed by Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo when they were teammates at Juventus.

The earthquake in Turkey was classified by the authorities of this country as “the largest natural disaster in the country since 1939.” More than 30,000 people have died and almost 100,000 have been injured, according to the latest figures.

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