By Alison Doerfler | Sr. Director, Partnership Integration
Six months after a series of earthquakes struck vast swathes of southern Türkiye and northwest Syria, families in the affected areas are struggling to rebuild their lives while having to cope with record-high temperatures that are further stretching limited water resources.
The massive earthquake that struck on February 6, with its epicenter close to the southern city of Gaziantep, left at least 50,000 dead and 100,000 injured in Türkiye, with another 3 million internally displaced and almost 300,000 buildings completely destroyed. A total of 9.1 million people were affected throughout the country’s southeast region.
Across the border in northwest Syria, where millions have already lived in precarious conditions following 12 years of conflict, the earthquakes added a crisis on top of existing crises. More than 4,500 people died and 10,400 were injured. There was widespread damage to buildings, including schools, clinics and protection spaces for women and girls. An estimated one million children continue to be out of school.
In Syria’s northwest, additional concerns include hunger—with over 3 million estimated to be food insecure—and the lack of clean water. There are over 100,000 suspected cholera cases since the beginning of the outbreak in the region and dehydration is another serious risk, particularly for malnourished children and women. Water shortages are also a concern in the earthquake-affected areas of Türkiye, where the lack of adequate toilet and shower facilities, in the newly established camp sites, poses significant risks, especially for women.
Six months on, people in Türkiye are still suffering the consequences of the catastrophic earthquakes,” said Sherine Ibrahim, Director of CARE Türkiye. “They have lost relatives, friends, and neighbors, and for many, entire livelihoods. Those most severely affected still have little or no access to resources and services and therefore very limited capacity to self-recover. Whether in northwest Syria or in southern Türkiye, humanitarian needs are immense and will continue being so for years.”CARE is providing much-needed assistance to those affected by the earthquake. By distributing drinking water, food, hygiene kits, kitchen utensils, and latrines, as well as providing protection services, shelter, and safe access to sanitation, thousands of people have benefited across multiple provinces in Türkiye and Syria impacted by the earthquake.
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