Tens of thousands of children and families are at risk after two devastating earthquakes and dozens of aftershocks hit the Syria-Türkiye border on 6th February 2023.
More than 50,000 deaths have been reported in total in Türkiye and northwestern Syria, and the death numbers are expected to increase. In Syria, more than 2.5 million children are affected.
In Türkiye, emergency efforts are currently focused on search and rescue missions and UNICEF is coordinating with Türkiye authorities. UNICEF's immediate support includes hygiene kits, blankets, and winter clothes.
Displaced families in Syria and those living in informal settlements are among the most vulnerable as overnight temperatures continue to dip below 0° Celsius. These earthquake victims have nowhere to go, and the freezing winter temperatures pose an additional challenge to their survival. Children and families affected by this calamity are in urgent need of shelter, clean water, and basic emergency supplies.
Eleven years into the conflict, economic downturn, and displacement have left hundreds of thousands of families struggling to survive in Syria. Now, the impact of such a devastating earthquake makes the situation even more desperate. We cannot wait – please donate to help us save lives.
Help UNICEF reach more children in need!
Dozens of schools, hospitals, and other medical and educational facilities were damaged or destroyed by the earthquakes, having a huge impact on children. Tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed and vulnerable families are now exposed to temperatures that regularly drop below the freezing point.
- In Syria, UNICEF is on the ground seeking to fill immediate gaps for all supplies (including medical) and has already sent emergency supplies for operating theatres, along with nutrition supplies such as high-energy biscuits.
- The team is working to ensure that the affected children and families have access to safe drinking water and sanitation services – critical in preventing illness in the early days of a crisis.
- We are also working to identify separated and unaccompanied children and work to reunite them with their families, as well as provide children with psychological first aid.
- UNICEF is coordinating the nutrition responses, especially for young children under 2 years and pregnant women of the displaced population in Syria. We are mobilizing essential nutrition supplies from across the region and delivering essential health and nutrition services through mobile teams.
We urgently need your support to meet the needs of children affected by this earthquake. Please urgently help vulnerable children with a donation. Any amount is important!