War Child Launches Rapid Response to Earthquake in Syria and Türkiye

Over 17,000 dead

At the time of writing, over 17,000 people - many of them children - have been confirmed dead with more than 8,000 rescued; lifted from the rubble.

In Syria, where War Child are already active and working to support those impacted by 12-years of civil war, the most vulnerable people will now be facing additional and significant hardship that will be putting their lives at risk - with children bearing the brunt.

Losing their loved ones, homes, their access to education and any support services they had, means that thousands of children are now living in unsafe conditions, with their childhoods on hold and their futures hanging in the balance.

“In north-west Syria, 4.1 million people currently depend on humanitarian assistance due to the conflict”, says Lukas van Trier, Country Director for our Syria Response. “On top of this, these communities are simultaneously hit with a cholera outbreak and harsh winter conditions including heavy rain and snowfall.”

Rapid Response

As we enter day four, and rescue missions come to a close, the global response is entering a new and harrowing phase, where the needs of the people will continue to grow. War Child’s rapid response plan will support this next phase through the delivery of critical protection and psychological services to children and families. Winter kits filled with warm clothes, heaters and blankets and food baskets including ready-to-eat meals will also be provided for those stranded on the road and arriving at shelters.

Delivered by our partner organisations in north-west Syria, and supported by our Syria Response team, the collective will work together tirelessly to roll out the emergency response to reach people as quickly as possible.

While initial efforts are prioritising people’s basic needs, War Child will be focusing on ensuring that vital protection services and psychological first aid is available to the thousands of children and families at severe risk.

Call for immediate support

But with a funding gap of 48% in the international response to the Syrian crisis, over 100 aid agencies, including War Child, are also now calling for immediate support to prevent further loss of life from the earthquake.

“With partner staff as well as our own directly affected by the quake and its aftershocks the need for care and compassion has never been greater. Everything we do is for the children”, says van Trier. “But we have a duty of care to those who make our work in Syria possible. This will remain at the forefront as our response unfolds.”