SHINING A LIGHT ON FORGOTTEN FAMILIES POPPY DELEVINGNE ON HER MOVING TRIP TO TURKEY AND THE EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE SHE MET

Model and actress Poppy Delevingne, 37 , is a n ambassador for charity Save the Children.

Here she tells us the heartbreaking but inspiring story of her visit to Turkey last year, during which she saw the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes that struck the south of the country and neighbouring Syria.

When earthquakes ripped through Turkey and Syria last February, more than 55,000 people were killed and 2.7 million were forced from their homes.

Visiting eight months after the disaster, I was shocked by the level of devastation that was still visible. I saw endless mountains of rubble and damaged buildings, with families and children living on the side of the road among the ruins in tents and containers. It was the end of October and you could already feel the cold coming in.

It was heartbreaking but also astonishing to meet these extraordinary people, who showed so much resilience in the aftermath of the disaster, which at the time received a lot of global attention. But because there’s so much going on in the world, including conflict in Israel and war in Ukraine, it feels as if these people have been forgotten.

That’s why I wanted to shine a light on the disaster, particularly in Hatay and Adiyaman, two of the worst-hit provinces, and the work that Save the Children is doing to help these families rebuild their lives by providing much-needed facilities, such as showers and toilets, as well as mental health support, hygiene kits and winter supplies.

TRIUMPH OF HOPE