1. Medical and relief support remain priorities
In the aftermath of the earthquake, both medical support and relief assistance are desperately needed in northwest Syria and Türkiye. While providing medical care to injured people and supporting health facilities remains a priority, immediate relief support is also vital. The collapse of buildings has left many people without shelter in very cold temperatures. Therefore, providing shelter, food, blankets, clothes, heating materials and hygiene kits remains a priority.
With at least 150,000 people becoming homeless in Türkiye, the authorities have identified shelters, non-food items distribution activities and food distribution as immediate needs.
In Syria, this disaster adds a dramatic layer for vulnerable people in the northwest of the country, who have witnessed years of ongoing humanitarian crises including war, displacement, a pandemic and a recent outbreak of cholera. The dire consequences of the earthquakes will require an enormous response from the local and international community.
