Catastrophic damage and vast humanitarian need in Turkey and Syria

On Monday 6 February at 4:17am local time, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey (officially known as Türkiye) near the city of Gaziantep, devastating parts of Türkiye and Syria. It was followed by a series of powerful aftershocks. On the same day, at 13:24 local time, a second earthquake (M7.5) hit the Elbistan district around 80 miles north of Gaziantep.

Rescuers raced to save people trapped beneath the rubble, and get shelter and support to those in Türkiye and Syria who had lost their homes or were afraid to return inside.. Then, on 20 February, two weeks after the first earthquake, there was another 6.4 magnitude earthquake near Antakya in Türkiye (an area already severely affected by the first earthquakes), again followed by significant aftershocks. More lives were lost as further buildings collapsed.

So far, its been reported that over 45,000 people have died as a result of the earthquakes, with many thousands more injured.

Turkish Red Crescent (Kizilay) and Syrian Arab Red Crescent emergency responders have been working tirelessly since day one to help people affected by the earthquakes, providing first aid and essentials like food, water, blankets and shelter. Their teams were already rooted in the local communities, and are providing unique access to the hardest hit areas.

Rescue operations continue but, as time goes on, the focus is now shifting to providing essential support for survivors who have lost their homes, belongings, livelihoods and loved ones.

With thousands of buildings collapsed, and hospitals, roads and infrastructure destroyed, millions of people are in urgent need of help.