Several earthquakes shook southeastern Türkiye, near the border with Syria, on February 6, 2023. People urgently need support now.
Welthungerhilfe expands emergency aid to 1 million euros
Following the devastating earthquake disaster in Türkiye and Syria, Welthungerhilfe has begun distributing relief supplies in northwestern Syria.
Bonn/Berlin, 09.02.2023. Welthungerhilfe (WHH), together with experienced Syrian partner organizations, has started distributing relief supplies in north-western Syria. The people in the northern areas of the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib have been hit particularly hard by the earthquakes and it has been difficult for aid organizations to reach them.
As a first step, households will receive food and ready meals so that they can survive the next four weeks. In addition, tents, blankets, warm clothing and hygiene items such as soap are being distributed with the help of local partners. Latrines for makeshift shelters will also be constructed in the coming days.
"These regions have been badly affected by 12 years of civil war. The entire infrastructure, including clinics, houses and roads, was in a desolate state even before the earthquake. These areas were practically closed off from the outside world for years. It is very difficult to get access to these areas, because at the moment there is only one official border crossing from the Turkish side through which humanitarian aid can reach these areas. In north-west Syria, more than four million people are already dependent on humanitarian aid for survival and many of them have now also lost their makeshift shelters due to the strong earthquakes. For the initial emergency relief measures, we will increase our aid to one million euros to help the affected people in Syria and Türkiye," emphasizes Renate Becker, who coordinates the humanitarian aid measures for WHH in Syria and Türkiye.
At the same time, the first relief supplies are ready to be distributed on the Turkish side tomorrow to support affected families.
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WHH has been active in the region since 2013. With 245 employees in the Gaziantep regional office (Türkiye), project offices in north-west Syria, and in cooperation with local partner organizations, WHH supports Syrians who have fled, as well as the host communities in north-west Syria and south-east Türkiye.
WHH is asking for donations for the earthquake victims using the keyword "Earthquake aid"
WHH is one of the largest private aid organizations in Germany and enjoys both political and religious independence. It is fighting for “Zero Hunger by 2030”. Since being founded in 1962, it has provided funding of EUR 4.46 billion for more than 10,895 overseas projects in 70 countries. WHH bases its efforts on the principle of empowering people to help themselves, which it implements with measures ranging from rapid disaster relief to rehabilitation to long-term development cooperation projects with national and international partner organizations.
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