25th March 2023 – (United Nations) The United Nations, in partnership with other humanitarian organisations, is continuing to provide aid to Türkiye and Syria in the wake of last month’s devastating earthquakes. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), nearly 535,000 people in Türkiye have been provided with shelter support, while 1.4 million people have received water, sanitation and hygiene support.
The International Organization for Migration has estimated that as many as 3 million people were displaced by the earthquakes in Türkiye. In informal settlements, where around 1.7 million people are living, there are concerns about access to proper water and sanitation services. Despite the efforts of more than 345 organisations on the ground distributing hot meals to approximately 1.25 million people every day, more funding is urgently needed to help the estimated 5 million people affected by the earthquakes in the country. As of Friday, the flash appeal was only around 20 percent funded.
In Syria, OCHA and its humanitarian partners are continuing to scale up their response to earthquake-affected areas across the country. To date, over 1,000 trucks carrying humanitarian aid from seven UN agencies have crossed into Northwest Syria from Türkiye via the three available border crossings.
According to OCHA, flooding in the Al-Hassakeh and Ar-Raqqa governorates has damaged the tents of 270 families in collective shelters and informal settlements, with at least 100 other families also affected by the recent rains. UN humanitarian partners are providing affected families with emergency ready-to-eat rations, mobile medical services, and other essential items.
The UN has stressed the urgent need for additional funding to help those affected by the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. While aid efforts have been ongoing, the scale of the disaster means that more resources are needed to provide for the millions of people impacted by the earthquakes.
As the UN and its partners continue to provide aid and support to those affected, the international community is being urged to step up and provide additional funding to help those who have been left homeless and without access to basic necessities like clean water, food and shelter.
In the wake of the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, the UN’s ongoing efforts to provide aid and support to those affected have been critical in helping people get back on their feet. However, with millions still in need of assistance, it is clear that much more needs to be done to ensure that everyone affected by the disaster receives the help they need to rebuild their lives.