Türkiye Earthquake

(Updated March 16, 2023)

Since the earthquakes struck Turkiye in February, ShelterBox has been working hard to support those who have been impacted by this massive disaster.

ShelterBox provided an immediate gift in kind to the Turkish Red Crescent just days after the earthquakes.

Currently, we have a team of seven ShelterBox members in-country working in partnership with Rotary colleagues, aiming to support people in Hatay, Gaziantep, and Andiyaman regions of Turkiye.

Aid packages will include a family sized tent, blankets, mattress, solar lights, a family hygiene kit, and a stove. Many people are currently sleeping outside in winter conditions.

“It has become increasingly clear to us how important providing a safe space is for families here. Conversations are confirming that a tent solution appears to alleviate at least some of this anxiety, helping people to have somewhere to sleep where they feel more comfortable.”  – Martin Strutton, ShelterBox Emergency Coordinator.

Powerful earthquakes have ravaged southern Türkiye (formerly Turkey) and northern Syria, killing more than 40,000 people and flattening 20,000 buildings.

Homes have been destroyed or left unsafe and people have been sleeping in the open. Around 23 million people could be affected across the two countries.

To make matters worse, freezing temperatures are presenting an immediate risk to life for people who are too afraid to return home or have no home to go back to.

In northwest Syria many buildings were already damaged by years of civil war, and that’s where some of the worst damage has been reported.

With 3 million people already displaced by the war, Syria is at breaking point. Families are facing harsh living conditions, freezing temperatures and diseases like cholera. They have faced the destruction of war, only to be hit again by these events.

Our teams are working around the clock to move aid into affected regions of Türkiye. This will be one of the most challenging humanitarian responses the international community have faced in the last decade. The numbers of people directly affect are shocking – behind every statistic are people who need our help.

– Alice Jefferson Head of Emergency Response.