David Muir is well aware of the influence his reporting can have, and in light of tragedy, he is putting it to good use.
The ABC journalist departed his usual New York City studio for Turkey and Syria, to cover the devastating aftermath of the earthquake the two countries are grappling with.
On Monday, February 6th, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the neighboring countries, decimating hundreds of buildings and tragically killing thousands.
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David took to Instagram over the weekend to reveal that he had headed off to one of the many areas throughout the region destroyed by the natural disaster.
He shared a photo of himself in which he appears with a sullen expression, surrounded by piled up rubble and debris, as well as plenty of rescue workers managing the destroyed area.
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"Few words truly describe the scope of this," he wrote in the caption, urging his fans and followers to help victims of the earthquake.
The star took on the daunting challenge of reporting on the devastating disaster
"To help the families, the children of Turkey and Syria: unicefusa.org/abcnews," he added, a website which leads to a donation page to amass emergency relief funds for families and children affected.
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David was immediately praised by his fans and colleagues alike for keeping them updated on the heartbreaking situation, with his fellow ABC anchor Deborah Roberts commenting: "Thanks for shining a compassionate and informative light on this tragedy David."
© Photo: Getty ImagesA Turkish soldier walking among destroyed buildings in Hatay, Turkey
"Very sad to see this through your report. As always thanks David," one fan also wrote, as others added: "You are an amazing human - I admire your strength, compassion and intelligence, keep up the great work," and: "Thank you David for always providing us with the most up to date info," as well as: "David your reporting is always impeccable, factual, and compassionate. Your coverage of this humanitarian crisis reflects the unimaginable and heartbreaking devastation these people are experiencing."
It has been a week since the earthquake struck the two countries, and though there have been several success stories from the rescue mission, it has been complicated by several factors, including freezing temperatures, and the fact that affected areas include rebel-held areas of Syria – the country has been marred with civil war for several years – where after security concerns, rescue operations are over, per CNN. As of Sunday, February 12th, the death toll has exceeded 28,000 victims.
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