Thousands dead and tens of thousands injured in the devastating earthquake that hit southern Turkey and northern Syria
in the early morning hours of February 6.
ActionAid has launched an emergency appeal for support for the affected people while it is assessing the needs and assessing
the amount of help he needs.
The organisation’s staff, with the support of local organisations with which it cooperates,
already assesses and formulates the intervention plan.
In the first stage it will work to provide shelter, food and warm clothing and is already supporting rescue work
in the towns of Harem, Janderis and Armanaz in northern Syria.
There is a great danger for people and families who have no access to shelter and are on the street
under extremely low temperatures.
It is estimated that around 1.4 million children are already, at this moment, in need.
Concern for marginalised groups
As Racha Nasreddine, ActionAid’s director for the Arab world, says:
“It is tragic to see the number of victims rising as efforts continue to pull and rescue survivors and survivors from the rubble. The situation is dramatic, as many of the earthquake victims are Syrian refugees who have already been driven from their homes by the fighting and have fled to Turkey or internally displaced persons who have fled to northern Syria. These are people who have already been uprooted many times and now this earthquake has again destroyed their lives and property.”
ActionAid is also particularly concerned about the situation of women and girls,
as well as for marginalised groups living in the affected areas.
Women and girls there were already extremely vulnerable, as many had fled the conflict in Syria.
and their mainstay was humanitarian aid.
The organisation is already aware that there is an urgent need for safe spaces for these groups.
According to Gerasimos Kouvaras, Director General of ActionAid:
“We are shocked by the scale of the disaster that has hit the two countries. We are already there supporting the work of the rescue teams, while providing essential supplies. In these terribly difficult times, we call on everyone to support ActionAid’s emergency appeal, helping us to show our solidarity with the millions of our fellow human beings who are being tested.”
You can support ActionAid’s emergency appeal to support people who have lost everything by making a donation here.
