Earthquake in Türkiye and Syria
Destruction in Gaziantep, Türkiye after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit Türkiye and Syria in February 2023. Pictures were taken hours after the impact. Ayham Taha/CARE
The situation
The deadly earthquakes that struck south-central Türkiye and northwest Syria have killed more than 50,000 people and injured tens of thousands more. In the hardest-hit provinces in across Türkiye and northwest Syria, 17.9 million people were affected, 2.7 million people have been displaced and 1.9 million people are living in temporary shelters. More than 175,000 buildings collapsed or are heavily damaged, generating more than 116 million tons of rubble.
More than 60 per cent of the 4.6 million population of Northwest Syria are already displaced from their homes and are now facing renewed displacement due to the earthquake.
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How we are responding
CARE Türkiye is prioritizing the delivery of essential items to people seeking refuge from the earthquake. To date, CARE and our partners have responded in some of the hardest hit areas in both Türkiye and Syria, delivering life-saving humanitarian assistance to more than 230,000 people with goods or services delivered to help people withstand the cold and find temporary shelter after having lost everything.
CARE Türkiye will also continue its existing cross-border operations to respond to the worst affected areas in Northwest Syria, where teams and partners are trying to deliver blankets, food, mattresses, tents, and other non-food items to people in need amid harsh weather conditions. More than 60 per cent of the 4.6 million population of Northwest Syria are internally displaced persons and are now facing renewed displacement due to the earthquake.
CARE Türkiye hopes to collaborate with the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency in Türkiye [AFAD] to deliver essential supplies to people in makeshift shelters across Turkey where people have sought refuge, including schools, mosques, and other temporary shelters allocated by the government.
CARE Türkiye is also currently assessing the scale and severity of the damage caused to civilian infrastructure and is establishing the safety and security of staff and their families as well as that of partner organizations based in Gaziantep and Northwest Syria.
