With a very high magnitude of 7.8 M w, destructive earthquakes and aftershocks shake southern Turkey and northern Syria. People, children lie under the rubble, it’s freezing cold!
The deadly earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday, February 6, killed more than 7,900 people in the first 36 hours and the death toll continues to rise. The WHO already assumes that the number of victims is at least eightfold. The situation is becoming more urgent and desperate by the hour. The impact spans 10 provinces and is affecting more than 15 million people, most of whom are now homeless or unable to enter their homes and outside in freezing temperatures.
The fatalities, injuries, orphans and damage caused by the devastating humanitarian catastrophe can currently only be estimated. The people, the hardest hit, as always, the children, depend on the fastest humanitarian aid, medicine and doctors and protection against the cold in order to survive!
Cell phone networks and internet connections are down in many areas, electricity and water are no longer available. All basic infrastructure, including health care and roads, is badly damaged or destroyed.
The YOU partners on site
The partner organization of the YOU Foundation is a non-profit organization that has been active in the fields of early childhood, parenting and women’s empowerment for 30 years. Due to the many earthquakes (İzmit 1999, Van 2011, Elazıg 2020) and disasters (Soma explosion 2014, forest fires 2021) that Turkey is repeatedly affected by, she has gained great experience in disaster relief and reconstruction. A partner organization that also cooperates with the UNESCO NGO Liaison Committee.
With your donations, essential supplies such as baby food, hygiene items, insulation and nutritious food are financed and given to those in need as quickly as possible.
What can we do?
This earthquake is by far the worst disaster to hit Turkey in many decades. We face the challenge of providing both immediate relief and long-term support t to families affected by the earthquake. Our on-the-ground partners and the Fiba Group are mobilizing relief efforts through a multi-year reconstruction and development strategy that will begin with the following:
- – Urgent humanitarian assistance, followed by
- – Systematic basic care, and then
- – Longer- term rehabilitation and reconctruction.
Expertise is focused on program areas where partners are able to have the greatest impact for children and their vulnerable families.
This is a three-phase operation:
Phase 1: Humanitarian Needs (1 to 3 weeks)
Providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief is an immediate, top priority while search and rescue operations continue. Search and rescue teams are on the ground in Osmaniye and Hatay, and emergency humanitarian assistance with blankets, food, and clothing has been provided in an initial transport. The most urgent priorities are:
– Medicine, – Water, – Food, – Sanitation and – Shelter.
We need urgent financial support for items such as clothing, blankets, heaters, energy storage devices, diapers, hygiene kits and baby food.
Phase 3: Systematic Basic Services (3 to 6 months)
Once search and rescue operations are complete, maintenance of basic service standards, such as:
– medical care,
– emergency food assistance, and
– child welfare,
will be a priority.
Based on previous experience with post-earthquake relief efforts in Turkey, we plan to establish:
– Mobile bakeries,
– Kitchen and canteens equipped for food distribution,
– Mobile clinics to meet the most urgent needs for basic medical care,
– Laundry units,
– Playrooms / child-friendly spaces, including use for school activities
– Mobile units for psychological support.
Our partners established similar facilities after the 1999, 2011 and 2020 earthquakes in Turkey.
Phase 3: A Longer Road to Recovery through Permanent Structures and Services (1 to 3 years)
In this third phase of the operation, we aim to focus on long-term reconstruction based on assessing the needs of children and families most affected by the earthquake. Earthquakes not only make it difficult to access essentials such as water, food, shelter, and health services, but also separate many children from their families. Childhoods and schools are destroyed.
Our priority at this stage is to ensure that children have access to quality education and early childhood care, and to support them to stay in school by leveraging technical expertise from previous disaster interventions. Psychological support for families will also be provided to help people regain a sense of normalcy. Physical rehabilitation centers and psychological facilities will be established, as was done after the Elazig (2020), Van (2011) and Marmara (1999) earthquakes.
PLEASE, help us:
We need your financial support for the urgent emergency humanitarian relief activities, such as clothing, blankets, heaters, energy storage devices, diapers, hygiene kits and baby food.
The 3-Phase Program needs your support.
