Residents of Batman showed solidarity with Haiti, a country thousands of kilometers away. A number of civil society organizations in the city launched an aid campaign to help Haitian families that were affected by the earthquake of 12 January 2010. 

The campaign with the slogan “Haiti is not So Far” raised quite a good amount of fund in a short time thanks to support from local people. The campaign was backed by Memur-Sen, Mazlum-Der, İHD, Batman Platform for Freedom of Thought and Faith, Eğitim-Bir-Sen, Eğitim-Sen, Batman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Batman Chamber of Pharmacists, and democratic mass organizations and chambers. The TRY 53,877 raised in the campaign was given to the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation to be extended to the Haitian people.

‘We felt the responsibility’

Hasan Argünağa, head of the Batman environment volunteers association and spokesman for the Haiti campaign, said they decided to initiate such a campaign because they felt the responsibility to help the people of Haiti.