Time is critical.
The 7.8 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes that occurred on 6th February, followed by thousands of aftershocks and two additional large earthquakes on 20th February, have resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and over 120,000 injured in Syria and Türkiye while leaving behind hundreds of unaccompanied children. These casualties are tragically expected to rise.
Many families have lost their homes and are now living in temporary shelters, often in freezing conditions and with snow and rain adding to their suffering. These people have nowhere to go, and the freezing winter temperatures pose an additional challenge to their survival. They are in urgent need of shelter, safe drinking water, and hygiene essentials.
We urgently need your support to respond to the needs of children affected by this earthquake. Please make an urgent donation.
“Thousands of homes have been destroyed, displacing families and exposing them to the elements at a time of year when temperatures regularly drop below freezing and snow and freezing rain are common." - James Elder, UNICEF Spokesperson
We can’t afford to wait, and we urgently need your support to reach children. Please make an urgent donation today.
UNICEF continues to work closely with both the Turkish and Syrian governments to support relief operations in the region with humanitarian assistance. We have already channeled desperately needed supplies, and are ensuring evacuation to safe spaces for children living in the affected areas.
In Türkiye, an estimated 465,000 people are currently seeking shelter in temporary accommodation centres and other public buildings, while nearly 216,000 people were evacuated to other provinces.
The situation is even worse in Syria, as many of those affected have endured multiple displacements over the past 12 years of conflict and are in desperate need of shelter to withstand the harsh winter conditions. An estimated 600,000 people are taking shelter in reception centres.
The total number of affected people currently in hospitals in Türkiye and Syria is unclear, as health facilities are already overwhelmed.
Your donation can make a huge difference in providing immediate support like hygiene kits, blankets, and winter clothes to children and families in need. Please help now!
Help UNICEF reach more children in need
UNICEF has been working around the clock to provide life-saving assistance to those affected by the earthquakes. UNICEF teams on the ground have been working with partners to distribute essential supplies such as critical health supplies, blankets, clothing, and safe drinking water and sanitation supplies, as well as continuing to provide safe spaces for children.
Despite these efforts, the needs of the affected population are enormous, and the challenges are many and complex.
UNICEF's response in Syria
- Over the past two weeks, UNICEF has reached hundreds of thousands of people in earthquake-affected areas, including in camps and collective shelters, with life-saving WASH, Health, and Nutrition supplies and services.
- UNICEF’s immediate priorities include providing access to safe drinking water and sanitation services, which are critical in preventing illness in the early days of a crisis. Across the whole of Syria, UNICEF has provided more than 800,000 litres of safe water to affected communities through water trucking.
- UNICEF has deployed Mobile Health and Nutrition teams to provide health and nutrition services and supplies to those in need, including those who have taken refuge in shelters.
- Child protection is a high priority for UNICEF, including the identification and reunification of separated and unaccompanied children and providing psychosocial support to children who may have been exposed to traumatizing experiences.
- UNICEF is also working to ensure that children are able to return to learning as soon as possible. The organization is assessing damage to schools and making preparations for immediate repairs and the establishment of temporary learning spaces.
UNICEF's response in Türkiye:
- Within days, critical supplies, including hygiene kits, winter clothes, and electrical heaters, have reached nearly 218,000 people, including over 132,000 children.
- UNICEF’s immediate priority is to ensure children and families affected receive the support they desperately need.
- UNICEF’s response is focusing on providing psycho-social support to children and families affected.
- Identifying separated and unaccompanied children and reuniting them with their families or caregivers,
- Assessing damage to water stations and services, as well as evaluating health and nutrition needs of affected people.
- UNICEF is also working to ensure that children are able to return to learning as soon as possible. The organization is assessing damage to schools and making preparations for immediate repairs and the establishment of temporary learning spaces.