Oxfam, together with local partner organisations, needs your support to reach people affected by the earthquakes in Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria. This is an urgent appeal for help.
Photo: Islam Mardini/Oxfam
HOW YOU CAN HELP
EMERGENCY FOOD AND SHELTER: In both Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria, were working with partners to support people left out in the cold with supplies like food, clean water and shelter.
WHAT PEOPLE NEED URGENTLY: Your donation can help get life-saving supplies to people who have lost everything. The most urgent needs include emergency shelter and winter kits as well as food, clean water, sanitation and hygiene.
"The scale of destruction is vast. Following two big earthquakes and over 60 aftershocks, people are still in shock and fear, they don't even have time to mourn the lost ones." Meryem Aslan, Oxfam spokesperson in Ankara
WHY YOUR HELP IS NEEDED
In the early hours of 6 February, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria, followed by another earthquake soon afterwards. Many thousands of people have been killed. Survivors who have been forced to flee their homes are now facing freezing temperatures. Infrastructure is heavily damaged, and we know that means people will struggle to find safe shelter, water and food.
DEC charities and their local partners are responding, working with locally-led relief efforts. Our teams in Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria are working with partner organisations to assess the types of immediate and longer-term support that are needed to help people in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes. The emergency response is expected to include water and sanitation, shelter and food support as well as longer-term rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Any donation, big or small, matters right now.
What your money could buy:
- £30 could provide blankets for six people to keep them warm.
- £50 could provide emergency food for two families for 10 days.
- £100 could provide emergency shelter for four families.
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN TÜRKIYE (TURKEY) AND SYRIA?
Southern Türkiye (Turkey) has been heavily affected, especially areas around Gaziantep and Hatay/Antakya. These are major hubs for Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) supporting Syria through the cross-border humanitarian operation.
The earthquake also hit areas in north-west Syria. Syria continues to be heavily affected by conflict. It hosts the majority of the 6.7 million people who have had to leave their homes because of conflict. Oxfam’s response in Syria is currently supporting 1.5 million people.
In Syria, the cities of Aleppo, Latakia, Hama and Idlib have been badly hit by the earthquake and severe aftershocks that have driven people into wintery streets fearing further collapses of buildings.
Dozens of buildings have been badly damaged across Aleppo and 46 are reported to have collapsed.
As nightly temperatures are expected to drop to zero degrees Celsius. Shelter, food, water, fuel and medical care for those who have been injured are desperately needed.
"Oxfam, together with partners, is gathering urgent information to assess the scale of devastation and what people most urgently need. Typically, Oxfam and partners would look to provide protection, water and sanitation, shelter and food support and in the longer-term rehabilitation and reconstruction. We are now assessing the type of immediate and longer-term support that is needed.” Meryem Aslan, Oxfam spokesperson in Ankara
Oxfam teams in Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria are assessing, with partner organisations, the fastest, most appropriate humanitarian efforts to help people in the aftermath of Monday’s devastating earthquakes, the biggest in Türkiye (Turkey) since 1938.
Oxfam KEDV, the Oxfam affiliate in Türkiye (Turkey), has partnerships with around 80 women’s cooperatives in ten Turkish provinces most affected by the quake and is currently assessing response plans with them given the scale of devastation.
"It is a double tragedy for survivors having to cope too with the cold and who will be unable to sleep outside. It is horrifying to contemplate how people will even be able to cope, given that some areas are even now in snow.” Meryem Aslan, Oxfam spokesperson in Ankara
Photo: Rescue teams try to reach trapped residents inside collapsed buildings at Galleria Apartment in Diyarbakir, southeast Turkey. Image Credit: Ahmet Yukus/Depo Photos via ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
HOW WE SPEND YOUR MONEY
For every £1 you donate to this emergency appeal, we will allocate 9p of your donation to cover general support and running costs. There is a small chance that we will raise more money than is needed for this appeal. If this happens, we'll spend any additional funds on other Oxfam projects wherever the need is greatest.
Oxfam is a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC).
What is the DEC?
The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) is made up of 15 member charities, including Oxfam. When disaster strikes in a place that doesn't have the capacity to respond, the DEC brings together 15 UK charities to raise funds together fast.
All DEC member charities are experts in humanitarian aid. Each member specialises in different areas of disaster response. Together, united with one voice, the call for help can reach as many people like you as possible.