'It's devastating': Turkish UNO professor closely following earthquake updates
As the death toll continues to rise after a earthquake struck Turkey, Ramazan Kilinc is constantly checking for updates.
"It's devastating," Kilinc said.
Kilinc is from Turkey. He's an assistant professor and director of Islamic studies at the University of Nebraska Omaha.
Kilinc said his wife's immediate family is OK. But they still can't return to their homes yet.
"(Their homes) didn't collapse, but they don't know yet, the structures and whether they are safe to return," Kilinc said.
The earthquake also struck Syria across the border.
"Many of the Syrian refugees that are in Turkey actually live in that area because that area is neighbor to Syria," Kilinc said.
Kilinc and his wife personally experienced another large earthquake in Turkey in the summer of 1999.
"(The) 1999 earthquake happened in the summertime. The rescuers were still able to rescue people, save people even after 3, 4 days later. But now, it's freezing weather. Also, for people who cannot go back to their homes, it brings further challenges, so I think this will be a lot more severe," Kilinc said.
The feelings of worry and devastation are all too familiar.
"We just remembered those days and, of course, started to worry about the people," Kilinc said.
As the rest of the world watches, Kilinc hopes people feel compelled to help.
Kilinc posted different ways people can donate to help those impacted on his blog.