Emergency: Türkiye Syria Earthquake
Catastrophic twin-earthquakes hit the Gaziantep region of Türkiye (formerly Turkey) and Northwest Syria on Monday 6 February 2023. Tens of thousands of people have been killed and the death toll is climbing.
After shocks and a massive winter storm are hampering rescue efforts and threatening survivors. We’re working closely across both Türkiye and Syria with our partners Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and International Medical Corps (IMC) to deliver immediate and urgent humanitarian aid including:
- medications, medical supplies and cholera kits
- mobile medical units
- food and non-food items.
We urgently need your support.
Donate now
The magnitude-7.8 earthquake that hit southern Türkiye, was the worst to hit the country this century and was followed by a magnitude-7.5 tremor.
Buildings have been ripped in half, homes have crumbled to the ground and landmarks heavily damaged by the violent earthquakes. Rescue efforts to reach the injured and those buried beneath the rubble have been further hampered by the extreme winter conditions of snow and rain.
So many lives have been impacted including some of the most vulnerable people like those displaced by conflict and turmoil in the region, many of who are women and children.
How we’re responding
We are working closely with our partners IMC and MECC who are well established in the the hardest-hit communities.
We have already:
- deployed 15 metric tonnes of medical aid
- established mobile medical units that can treat up to 1000 patients per week
- distributed food and non-food items into the affected areas of Türkiye.
But this is just the start. Our relief efforts will not stop.
Search and rescue efforts must be the top priority, and life-saving medical assistance, food, clean water and sanitation, and blankets to beat freezing weather conditions are also top priorities.- Unni Krishnan, Plan International Global Humanitarian Director
The toll of multiple crises
In Syria, this disaster comes at a time when people were already struggling, following years of conflict, economic collapse, a cholera outbreak, and freezing winter conditions.
The coming days, weeks and months will be challenging for families whose lives have been devastated by the earthquakes. Plan International, through our partners, will remain with the families as we assess the support they need including protection and psychosocial support.
This is a rapidly evolving situation. Our ability to respond is paramount right now and we need your support. Can you help?
Protecting children is our priority
Our experience shows that children, especially girls, women and the poorest families, are most at risk of exploitation in a disaster like an earthquake. Women and children in the disaster-zone will be at risk of mistreatment and abuse, should they find themselves once again displaced. The protection and safety of children – particularly girls – must be a top priority.
We need your help to make sure our life-saving response addresses immediate and also long-term protection and safety of girls and children during this crisis.
In the aftermath of earthquakes, children really do need our support the most…their lives have been turned upside down, and they need support to regain a sense of safety and normality while all is chaos around them.- Unni Krishnan, Plan International Global Humanitarian Director