Syria and Türkiye

Life After Disaster

3 Months On From The Earthquakes

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3 months on from the devastating earthquakes that struck Syria and Türkiye, people across the region are still struggling with overwhelming loss; from lost family members and loved ones, to lost livelihoods and homes.

While the dust has now settled after 4 major shocks and over 11000 smaller aftershocks, the situation in the region remains critical. Over 50000 people died, and as many as 6 million people are estimated to have been made homeless in Türkiye and Syria combined, as a result of the earthquakes.

RI has been on the ground in both countries from day one, and is still there now, working to help families rebuild their lives.

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RI CEO Craig Redmond thanks donors for supporting RI and its work in Syria and Türkiye.

Relief International CEO Craig Redmond thanks donors for supporting RI and its work responding to the earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye.

Staff in an RI facility x-ray a man's arm to see if it is broken.

HOW HAS RI RESPONDED?

Syria

In Syria, the earthquakes have compounded an already desperate humanitarian situation.

Since the morning the earthquakes hit, staff at RI’s 30 hospitals and clinics in Northern Syria worked around the clock to deliver lifesaving treatment and psychosocial support to people affected by the earthquakes. At the same time, in remote areas without health facilities, RI sent mobile health teams to ensure displaced people could get treatment for their injuries no matter where they were located. In the first two weeks after the earthquakes, RI health staff provided over 51,000 health consultations across the region.

Since then, our doctors and nurses have reported more patients coming into clinics with increased blood pressure, hypertension and heart issues – signs of the psychological toll that the earthquake has had. In response, we have increased capacity for supporting these people; providing psychological first aid, mental health workshops, and group sessions aimed at helping people identify their symptoms and find mechanisms for treating them.

RI staff moving supplies in Southern Turkey

HOW HAS RI RESPONDED?

Türkiye

In Türkiye, where the earthquakes have affected approximately 16% of the country’s population, the need for support has been enormous. RI helped meet this need in the days after the earthquakes by providing essential items such as tents, blankets, hygiene kits, food baskets, and medical supplies.

Since then, our staff have focused on filling gaps in essential services. Water, sanitation and hygiene services like mobile latrines, accessible showers and mobile washing machines are necessities for people living in makeshift camps, and RI’s staff are providing these facilities, along with health and protection services, to over 46000 people on a daily basis.

Before the earthquake, our work in Türkiye focused on providing physical rehabilitation services for people with disabilities. There is more need for services than ever, and we have scaled up our response by partnering with more local organizations on the ground. The result is more staff members going out to camps to provide direct services, more people being seen at static rehabilitation clinics, and more assistive devices being provided to people that need them.

Our Response in Numbers

260K

health consultations in Syria since the earthquakes

1050

babies born in RI facilities in Syria since the earthquakes

10.4K

essential items provided in Türkiye in the first month after the earthquakes

2.4K

physical rehabilitation sessions held in Türkiye since the earthquakes

Syria and Türkiye 3 Months On

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"I found myself under the collapsed ceiling of the building. I felt very dizzy, with dust filling my mouth..."

Rawan, aged 32, is a survivor of the devastating earthquakes that hit the north of Syria. Before the earthquakes, Rawan had been forced to flee her hometown with her family because of the ongoing conflict from the Syrian Civil War.

“We erected our tent inside an unfinished brick building because we were unable to rent a house. How should we know that its ceiling would collapse on us?”

“I found myself under the collapsed ceiling of the building. I felt very dizzy, with dust filling my mouth, and I thought about my daughter. I did not know what had happened to her, but I was unable to move or talk.”

A rescue team pulled Rawan and her daughter out from under the rubble a few hours after the first earthquake

Relief International’s mobile medical staff treated Rawan’s injuries, ensuring she was able to fully recover.

Informal settlements where Syrian refugees live in Arsal, Lebanon. Relief International is working with these communities, providing psychosocial support through awareness sessions and one-on-one meetings with their social workers. Elie Gardner/RI

Help Relief International Continue Our Essential Work

We were only able to react quickly in Syria and Turkey, and are only able to continue providing these critical services, because of essential donations from our supporters.

With your help we can continue providing emergency services and much needed support in 15 countries around the globe.

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