May 25, 2023
News
It will soon be four months since the devastating earthquake that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria, killing nearly 60,000 people. Aid is still urgently needed. Up to two million people are still surviving in makeshift shelters in the affected regions. Caritas Czech Republic continues to help people on the ground. We have provided temporary shelter in containers, decent hygiene facilities, food aid and psychological care.
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Humanitarian crisis in north-western Syria
When the devastating earthquake struck in the early hours of 6 February, it hit places in Syria's north-west that were already facing a major humanitarian crisis. These areas are home to internally displaced people who have fled fighting in other parts of the country. Vulnerable families and individuals who already depended on humanitarian aid before the earthquake are now much more vulnerable to the situation. These people still need food and hygiene aid provision, but also adequate psychological support.
This is exactly the kind of assistance we are providing to the people affected by the earthquake in Syria together with our partner organisation Violet. Our colleagues are distributing food parcels and basic kitchen utensils to vulnerable families so that they can prepare food even in makeshift conditions. We are also distributing hygiene supplies to help people affected by the earthquake ensure decent sanitation and prevent the spread of diseases.
We are also providing much-needed psychological support to people affected by the earthquake so that they can cope with the trauma caused by the devastating tremors.
Housing containers and hygiene kits for affected people in Turkey
While freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall were exacerbating the situation in Turkey at the time of the earthquake, there are currently rising temperatures and heavy rains in the affected areas, which, combined with a lack of access to clean and potable water, are complicating already inadequate sanitation conditions. Ensuring sanitation is an absolute priority. That is why Caritas Czech Republic is distributing hygiene kits containing basic hygiene items, including feminine hygiene products, in the affected areas.
"The area of Malatya in Turkey, where we are planning further distribution of hygiene supplies, has been hit by heavy torrential rains, which are significantly worsening the hygiene situation of people living in makeshift shelters. Regular distribution of hygiene supplies will help prevent further deterioration of the situation and ensure adequate sanitary conditions," says Rukas Ibrahim, head of Caritas Czech Republic's office in Turkey and Syria, speaking directly from the affected areas. "Compared to the first weeks after the earthquake, when a huge amount of humanitarian aid was flowing into the areas, there is much less aid now, but the provision of hygiene supplies in particular is still very crucial," Ibrahim points out.
The rising temperatures are also complicating the situation for locals, who continue to survive in tents that are almost impossible to stay in during the hot weather. In one of the worst affected regions, Hatay, we have built containers in collaboration with local partner organisation IBC, which also contain portable toilets and showers. The containers will provide the affected people with a more dignified shelter and ensure adequate sanitation facilities.
We are also planning to build playgrounds in the Malatya region of Turkey so that children living in makeshift camps will have a safe space in which they can spend their time.
The Syrian NGO network has been helping since day one
Together with our partner organisation Violet, we have been able to create a network of NGO volunteers in Syria who we have trained to work in the humanitarian and development sector. Moreover, this cooperation proved its worth in the first hours after the devastating earthquake. Thanks to the cooperation established with a number of volunteers and the knowledge that the Syrian organisations gained from Caritas Czech Republic, their members and volunteers were able to immediately get involved in helping the people affected by the earthquake. As a result, aid reached many more people in a much shorter time. 62 civil society organisations trained by Caritas Czech Republic and Violet were involved in the immediate post-earthquake relief efforts in Syria.
With our partner organisation Violet, we continue to help people affected by the earthquake while training civil society organisations. We recently launched a project funded by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs to further train Syrian NGOs in providing effective humanitarian and development assistance on the ground in Syria.
Our colleagues on the ground are also organising leisure activities for children affected by the earthquake. We are also providing important psychological assistance. We plan to hold several awareness-raising trainings in north-western Syria, focusing on earthquake preparedness and also on how parents can help their children overcome the trauma caused by the earthquake. We will help people who lost their personal documents in the earthquake to access legal services so that they can re-secure the necessary documentation.
Caritas Czech Republic is collaborating with the NGO Violet on the project "Supporting civil society in northwest Syria" with financial support from the European Commission. The newly launched project in Syria is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.
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