Published on 28 February 2023

A series of devastating earthquakes hit southern Turkey and north-west Syria killing over 50,000 people and injuring many more.

Thank you to everyone who has fundraised and donated to the Turkey-Syria Earthquake Appeal. The total raised so far is standing at over £2.3 million!

Your donations are making a very real difference to survivors and those impacted by the earthquake.

Christian Aid’s work with local partners continue to provide winter kits to people seeking shelter. These kits include plastic sheeting, mattresses, blankets, and heating materials. 

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Civilians look for survivors under the rubble of collapsed buildings in Turkey on February 7, 2023 Credit: ADEM ALTAN/ AFP via Getty Images
Rubble and destroyed buildings following the earthquake in Turkey

What's been happening in Turkey and Syria?

These have been reported as the most powerful recorded earthquake to hit Turkey in more than 20 years. 

At least 6,000 people are known to have been killed in Syria, with 7,400 building destroyed or badly damaged. This has left hundreds of thousands of people homeless. 

Our partners report that freezing rain led many in Northwest Syria to return to partially destroyed buildings to cover from harsh winter storms as aftershocks began to hit. Many other are gathering in collective shelters, mosques and other "safe" areas.

Access to clean water is also a challenge, bringing the risk of cholera –which is already present in Northwest Syria – and other diseases.

How has Christian Aid been responding?

DEC charities and their local partners are among the first responders, working with locally-led relief efforts in Turkey and Syria, with a focus in areas in Syria. 

As we work with partners to increase the scale of our operations, we have been training new staff to respond to local needs.

Following the immediate priorities of search and rescue, the relief effort has now moved into a new phase and Christian Aid and our partners are now focussed on providing shelter, medical treatment for the injured, heaters for spaces and winter kits with blankets, and warm clothes, and ensuring people have food and clean water.

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Darna partner staff members distributing heating material and ready-to-eat meals to families on the outskirts of a village in NW Syria. Credit: Darna
Darna partner staff members distributing heating material and ready-to-eat meals to families on the outskirts of a village in NW Syria.
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Darna partner staff members in NW Syria preparing for a distribution, in an area that has been hit the hardest. Credit: Darna
Darna partner staff members in NW Syria preparing for a distribution, in an area that has been hit the hardest.

Christian aid partners are distributing protection kits to support people through the winter – 665 of these kits have been delivered so far and temporary shelter, food parcels and heating materials. This includes protection for children, mental health support and cash for local communities. 

Dozens of people – including many children – are sleeping in the open on the streets without cover (or with makeshift covers) around fires. Families are sleeping on the ground, without shelter. Our teams are trying to help these people and provide them with heaters, heating materials and some food. Without shelter though, in these cold and harsh conditions, it won’t be enough. We need to help and stand with people as much as we can.

- A Darna partner staff member, during a late night distribution..
Thank you

Thank you for standing together with us at such a time. Together, we continue to stand in solidarity and send our prayers to the people of Turkey and Syria. If there is any more that you can give, please do.

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