Chichester woman's urgent plea to rescue family from Turkey and Syria following deadly earthquake

In the family-run Chichester Tailors in Cooper Street the terrible event has affected friends and family and staff have begun fundraising to help people in the area.

​Rohilat Mahmoud, a receptionist at the tailor from to Chichester from Syria when she was 21-years-old, she has visited four times in the 20-years that have since elapsed and is now hoping to bring her parents to the UK.

She said: “My mum is living in Turkey, she’s okay but she’s in the street because it’s not safe for her to stay in the house. She has a small coffee shop and [my mum and dad] are sleeping in a small car outside. I miss them a lot

"I can’t sleep until 4am thinking about them. They were left behind and I can’t go back because I have little children. I’m hurting."

Rohilat is working to raise money to bring her parents to the UK to live.

“We don’t know what we are going to do. We want to get them a visa to help them – there’s no land left there, no property left.

"We are also trying to raise money for the people of Syria whose houses have been destroyed – believe me they are more important than my family right now.”

Rohilat is collecting funds in the tailors and you can drop of support there.

Chichester Rotary Club has been fundraising at the Market Cross.

In his report, the club president, Richard Plowman wrote: “The two women at Chichester Tailors are Rojin Sido (whose parents are homeless in Afrin, Syria and the father is a poor state of health) and Rohilat MahMoud whose elderly parents are in Iskenderan.

"The scale of the devastation means that the infrastructure has broken down with food, water, heat and power in short supply. Both women are very distressed and want to get their parents to Chichester as soon as possible. At this point Rojin burst into tears and Rohilat gave me a big hug. She said any help would be appreciated but it was so important to know someone cares. We then discussed how we might assist them. Help with the air fares would be appreciated but most important help with obtaining the necessary visas which is not going to easy.