Turkiye (Turkey) & Syria Earthquake Response

Next month marks one year since two massive earthquakes struck Türkiye and Syria in the space of just 12 hours. Thousands of buildings were destroyed, over 55,000 lives lost, and more than 100,000 people were injured.

As the months have gone by and the emergency response has transitioned to long-term recovery, Relief International has continued to provide support to those whose lives have forever changed by the earthquakes.

We have expanded the physical rehabilitation centres, initially established for Syrian refugees with disabilities crossing into Türkiye, to include those in Northwest Syria affected by the earthquake.

The rehabilitation centres focus on providing prosthetics, physical therapy, and mental health support to those who were severely injured. To date, almost 4,000 (3,946) rehabilitation sessions have been conducted for individuals injured in the earthquakes.

Another critical concern is the deteriorating condition of the healthcare infrastructure in Syria, which has been pushed to the brink of collapse due to the prolonged conflict, global health pandemic, and the devastating earthquakes.

RI has been supporting multiple health centres to offer comprehensive medical services and outpatient services free of charge.

One centre supported by RI and UNFPA is the Ikhtarin Hospital. Abida*, a recent mother who gave birth to a healthy daughter at Ikhtarin Hospital, shares her story:

"My neighbor gave birth in a car, and we are displaced. The sight was frightening. The car floor was iron, and we were afraid to touch it because of the cold. Imagine a baby coming out onto cold, rusty iron! My daughter was born on a clean, sterilized white cloth supported by RI and UNFPA. We are grateful for this support.”

It is only with contributions from donors like yourself that we can run centres like this following the devastating earthquakes. Thank you again for your support.

*Name changed.

Just over six months ago, two massive earthquakes struck Syria and Türkiye in the span of 12 hours. Thousands of aftershocks later, the wider repercussions of this disaster are still being felt. As the months have gone by and the emergency response has transitioned to long-term recovery, Relief International has continued to provide support to those whose lives have forever changed by the earthquakes.

Although, the impact of this tragedy will be felt for years to come, the Syrian and Turkish people have enormous resilience and are determined to start rebuilding their lives as soon they can. Here are their stories, in their own words:

Fatma, 35, says her husband abandoned her and their two teenage boys after she lost her hand in the earthquake.

“Thankfully my children were able to get out but I was trapped under the rubble for more than 15 hours. After passing out, I woke up to my work alarm clock at 5:30am and saw that my hand had been completely cut off. I now go to the Relief International – NSPPL center where I attend mental health support sessions. The staff have also taken all the technical measurements for my prosthetic hand and have planned physical therapy sessions for me. My dream is to get back to work so I can provide for my children.”  

Ali, 14. Tragically Ali’s mother, father and four of his five siblings died in the earthquake.

“I was stuck under the rubble for three days. My older brother wasn’t at home when the earthquake hit. We’re the only surviving members of our family. I was in intensive care for 100 days and underwent 25 surgeries. My whole leg including my thigh had to be amputated after it was crushed. Six months on, it still feels like my leg is there and sometimes I feel electrical shocks in it. My life is completely different. My father, my mother, my sister, my brothers – all of them died. I lost my whole family. I still can’t leave the house on my own. I can’t walk far before I feel tired. I’m currently doing physical therapy at the Relief International – NSPPL center in preparation for my prosthetic leg. I look forward to being more independent once I have it.”

Our efforts are never limited to immediate relief alone. We were in Türkiye and Northwest Syria before this disaster, and we be there for the years ahead. We thank you for your support as we continue to assist communities rebuilding after this disaster. Your continued generosity will be just as impactful today as it was at the start of the crisis and we hope that we can continue to partner with you to help weave communities back together.

Donate now to continue supporting our essential work in Syria and Türkiye.