ADRA’s Syria and Türkiye Response

UPDATE on ADRA’s Syria and Türkiye (formerly Turkey) Response: Amina’s Story

“I was awakened by my bed shaking and the sounds of the walls and floor cracking. It was terrifying! I ran out of my home barefoot and only wearing my nightgown. Screams filled the air around me. I did not know what to do, but left my home and went to relatives where I stayed for a few days before I moved to one of the collective shelters.”

“I returned to my house soon after the aftershocks subsided and found cracks in the walls, and worst of all, my possessions had all been looted! I was back to where I started when I first came to Aleppo, when I fled the conflict in Idlib. The only difference was that instead of having enough income to rebuild my life, this time my pension of 100,000 SYP (US $12) is not enough to cover even a portion of my needs.

“When I found out about ADRA’s hygiene kit distribution, I felt I had a reason to have hope that my life would get better. Receiving the distribution makes me feel seen and heard! The items I received will cover my hygiene needs for a month, and now that’s one less thing I need to worry about. I am so grateful for your support; I want everyone to know the difference ADRA is making in my life. Thank you, ADRA, for all you are doing!”

Thank you for your support of ADRA’s response to the Türkiye earthquakes. You are helping affected people like Amina rebuild their life. To support our response, donate at adra.org.au/disaster

 

UPDATE on ADRA’s Syria and Türkiye (formerly Turkey) Response: April 30

Here is a summary of ADRA Syria’s response to the Türkiye earthquakes in April:

Aleppo:

🥪ADRA distributed 457 food baskets (each basket contains food for 5 days) to 2,285 individuals in 6 shelters
🧼 ADRA distributed 413 hygiene kits in 5 collective shelters, improving the hygiene opportunities of 2,065 individuals
💧The items required to repair the water network were procured and implementation is expected to begin by the middle of May 2023

Latakia:

🍜ADRA provided 16,200 hot meals to 900 individuals in 2 shelters
🥖ADRA distributed food parcels intended to provide each family with a 15-day food supply, benefitting 1,950 individuals
🧼A total of 850 hygiene kits were distributed in 12 different shelters, reaching 4,250 individuals
🧹Cleaning items were distributed in four shelters, with a total resident population of 144 families (721 individuals)

Damascus:

☀️Installation of a solar power system and the connection for the chlorine pump was completed and tested, benefitting 35,000 individuals

Homs:

🎫ADRA completed the distribution of a second round of e-vouchers for 500 households
💵ADRA completed the third distribution of cash to persons with disabilities in Homs and Hama. The third round reached an additional 665 households, bringing the total to 1,593 families who have received cash assistance.

Education Updates:

Across Syria, ADRA is working to rehabilitate damaged school buildings so children can return to learn. ADRA is also running remedial classes to help students who have missed large periods of their schooling catch up. A three-month round of remedial classes in Homs finished in mid April. A further two schools have been identified to run remedial programs, with a total of 466 students. The remedial classes will commence in May. In coordination with recreational facilitators, daily recreational activities are being provided to the children. Activities include arts and crafts and physical education activities to improve motor skills, such as rhythm imitation games, energy games, and dancing. Across various classes, counselors are also working with schools to conduct individual and group sessions. School kits have also been distributed to students so they have supplies for learning.

Beginning in May, ADRA will be supporting out of school programs across various regions and schools to support a total of 872 children.

 

UPDATE on ADRA’s Syria and Türkiye (formerly Turkey) Response: March 27

Here is a summary of ADRA’s response to the Türkiye earthquakes to date:

In Syria, ADRA has helped a total of 26,535 people who have been affected by the earthquakes. A total of 49,575 meals have been provided by ADRA in 24 different areas of Aleppo and Latakia. With so many buildings and homes destroyed, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced, forcing them to take refuge in collective shelters like repurposed schools. Some of these shelters are hosting up to 1,000 people. However, these emergency shelters are not equipped to meet the needs of so many people with limited water and sanitation facilities. ADRA has provided 31 cleaning kits to seven collective shelters to meet hygiene needs. Ten of the cleaning kits went to the Sport City Centre which is hosting over 2,000 individuals. ADRA is also supplying collective shelters with hygiene kits and blankets.

ADRA is also supporting water supply rehabilitation work, which will restore the water networkaccess to water for up to 12,000 people in the Alasalyee neighbourhood. And the rehabilitation work on the in Dahr Al Siryane is complete, benefitting up to 150,000 individuals. 

In Türkiye, ADRA’s response has supported almost 9,500 people from 16 cities. ADRA has been working with other local organisations on the ground to coordinate relief efforts. The response has included the distribution of food, tents, winter clothing, hygiene kits, cash vouchers, solar lamps, and cleaning supplies. 

Just two weeks after the initial earthquakes, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck southern Türkiye near the Syrian border. ADRA’s response has been unaffected, and we continue to provide support to the affected areas. 

Accurate at time of publication.

 

UPDATE on ADRA’s Syria and Türkiye (formerly Turkey) Response: February 21

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck southern Türkiye near the Syrian border today, just two weeks after the series of earthquakes that took tens of thousands of lives and impacted millions.

ADRA’s teams remain safe and continue to respond in affected regions. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. For a full report on the response to the second quake, visit adra.org.au/turkiye-and-syria-second-earthquake.

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UPDATE on ADRA’s Syria and Türkiye (formerly Turkey) Response: February 20

ADRA also continues to conduct emergency response operations in Türkiye, to deliver immediate relief to families affected by the earthquakes.

On Friday 17 February 2023, ADRA delivered 150 stoves and 300 canisters to a partner organization in Nurdagi, one of the heavier affected areas in Türkiye, to be provided to earthquake victims.

Shelter is also a top priority due to the number of buildings collapsed and severely damaged. Access to family tents, relief items and heating are urgent. While ADRA’s emergency response team works on resourcing winter-proof family-tents (that allow families to use gas heaters inside), ADRA volunteers, in collaboration with local organisations, supported 1,360 individuals over the last week with supplies according to specific needs. These included food baskets, winter items such as gas heaters, underwear, socks and shoes. Cleaning and personal hygiene items were also distributed.

 

UPDATE on ADRA’s Syria and Türkiye (formerly Turkey) Response: February 16

Here is the latest from ADRA’s response in Syria.

Latakia:

• Over the last three days, ADRA distributed 7,350 meals in six different shelters, reaching 9,285 individuals
• A total of 812 food parcels have been distributed to displaced people living within the community. Each parcel has enough food to feed a family for five days

Aleppo:

• Over the last three days, ADRA distributed 776 food parcels in six different shelters, reaching 3,889 people
• ADRA is looking into the rehabilitation of water system that was affected during the quakes

Hama:

• With so many displaced in the middle of winter, the need for blankets is huge. ADRA is working to secure blankets to distribute to help those affected survive the cold winter nights

Over a week has passed since the devastating earthquakes struck Türkiye. The need for psychosocial support across Türkiye and Syria is great. ADRA is exploring ways of offering counselling sessions in the collective shelters in Syria. There are also fears that such large groups of people gathered together is putting a strain on hygiene. ADRA is assessing the possibility of installing portable toilets and solar lights in the shelters.

To ensure there are no gaps in humanitarian assistance, ADRA is coordinating with the municipality of Aleppo, the General Organization for Land Development, the water establishment, and the Directorate of Education to carry out the planned water, sanitation and hygiene activities.

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UPDATE on ADRA’s Syria and Türkiye (formerly Turkey) Response: February 15

ADRA is working in Hatay, Türkiye, to support survivors. Over one million people are staying in temporary shelters and at least 150,000 people are homeless. The greatest needs have been identified as food, shelter and heating.

ADRA is working with local organisations to facilitate relief activities by contributing cash and essential items like food.

Impact to date in Hatay:

• 330 people received essential items like food, water and blankets
• Hospital and Urban Search and Rescue team equipped with tools and supplies
• 26 heaters donated to the Hatay Firefighter’s association
• Food supplies provided to to AKDER, local NGO operating in Arsuz and surrounding villages

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UPDATE on ADRA’s Syria and Türkiye (formerly Turkey) Response: February 14

After a week working as part of the rescue efforts in Türkiye, ADRA Hungary Country Director Zoltan Sitkei has returned home.

During his deployment, Zoltan’s rescue team (HUBA Rescue24) recovered 11 survivors from the rubble following the devastating earthquakes on 6 February. The team worked long hours in difficult conditions.

“It took us 14 hours to save a lady who was found by our team,” said Zoltan. “It was very difficult to get her out, but finally we found a solution and got her out.”

ADRA locally sourced drills, hammer drills and drill heads before driving to Antakya to deliver the much needed equipment to aid in the search and rescue operation.

Zoltan is a paramedic and internationally accredited search and rescue technician. He was in a team of 19 specialists and 7 dogs.

ADRA is on the ground in Syria providing food, shelter and water to those who have been affected.

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UPDATE on ADRA’s Syria and Türkiye (formerly Turkey) Response: February 13

Emergency shelters like the ADRA supported Sports City shelter are hosting up to 2,000 individuals. Over the last three days, ADRA distributed 3,500 individual ready meals in the Sports City shelter which is the largest collective shelter in Latakia. An additional 1,359 individuals received food support in Aleppo. However, these emergency shelters are not equipped to meet the needs of so many people with limited water and sanitation facilities. ADRA is also providing bottled water, but the need is still great and it is difficult to keep up with the demand.

ADRA distributed 425 food parcels to households that are displaced with the community. Each parcel contains enough food for a family for five days.

As part of efforts to restore the water network, ADRA provided a second generator to the directorate of water resources to assist in the emergency repairs.

In Hama, the procurement process has started for the distribution of mattresses.

The most urgent needs are for food, water, hygiene kits and cleaning materials. The death toll has ticked over 33,000.

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UPDATE on ADRA’s Syria and Türkiye (formerly Turkey) Response: February 12

Miriam Watt from ADRA Syria spoke with SBS news about the earthquakes that have devastated Türkiye and Syria. ADRA’s existing projects in Syria have shifted into recovery mode, working to support families who have lost everything.

“There is a lot of shortages of basic services and supplies,” Miriam says. “When you talk to people and ask, ‘what is your biggest need, what can we provide?’ some people are just so shocked and overwhelmed they can’t respond at all.”

Our team in Syria has been distributing essential items like food, water, and blankets to families and individual people in the affected areas.

At the time of publication, the death toll from the earthquakes has exceeded 24,000. Miraculously, six days after the first earthquake struck, people are still being rescued from the rubble, defying the odds.

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UPDATE on ADRA’s Syria and Türkiye (formerly Turkey) Response: February 10

Six people have been rescued from the ruins in Türkiye by a rescue team including ADRA Hungary Country Director, Zoltan Sitkei.

Zoltan is a paramedic and internationally accredited search and rescue technician. Zoltan, along with three colleagues from partner NGOs, has been deployed as part of the Hungary Government’s official search and rescue contingent with 19 persons and 7 rescue dogs.

“In the last 36 hours, we rescued six people including two children,” says Zoltán Sitkei. “Unfortunately, after being rescued, we lost a young boy because of his injuries. But he was still alive when we took him out of the ruins. We are facing very difficult situations. It took us 14 hours to save a lady, who was found by our team.

“We are with the rescue team in Hatay area (Türkiye), where we are working in the ruins on a daily basis,” Zoltán says. “We are meeting very unusual circumstances. In this area nearly every house is a ruin or damaged. People need shelters. They are sleeping in cars and in local services. The situation of food and shelter is very critical.”

ADRA is providing food, shelter and water to those who have been affected.

At the time of publication, the death toll from the Türkiye earthquakes has exceeded 20,000. The confirmed number in Türkiye is 17,406 and in neighbouring Syria it is 3,317.

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UPDATE on ADRA’s Syria and Türkiye (formerly Turkey) Response: February 9

At the time of publication, 13.5 million people are estimated to have been impacted by the Türkiye earthquakes, and over 15,000 lives have been lost across Türkiye and Syria.

ADRA Syria has now provided 1,175 people in four shelters in Aleppo and Latakia with meals, drinking water and hygiene items. ADRA has also deployed an emergency team to work alongside the local church in Türkiye.

Mustafa Bashir, Aleppo Field Coordinator for ADRA Syria, says, “While we were distributing food in the shelter, we felt tremors and the people told us that two more buildings in the area collapsed, leaving more families homeless. However, the two shelters we served today are at full capacity, so more schools and mosques were opened to provide places for people to stay.”

Weather forecasts show temperatures below 0 degrees celsius at night worsening the situation for those trapped or displaced without shelter.

Many people have lost everything. These photos have come through from one of the shelters ADRA has established in local schools in Aleppo. The shelters are providing people with food, water, cash vouchers and blankets to withstand the cold winter.

Please join us as we continue to pray for the millions of lives impacted by these devastating earthquakes.

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UPDATE on ADRA’s Syria and Türkiye (formerly Turkey) Response: February 8

Earlier this morning, Channel 9’s Today Show crossed live to our staff on the ground in Syria for an update on the Türkiye earthquake response. As the death toll continues to rise, the greatest needs have been identified as shelter, healthcare, food and blankets.

Watch the live cross to Syria in the video above. NOTE: the footage may cause distress for some viewers. Discretion is advised.

The death toll has now surpassed 7,000 in Türkiye and northern Syria in the aftermath of the 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that struck Türkiye in the early hours of Monday 6 February. ADRA Syria staff have been deployed to the affected areas and will initially serve 1,100 people. The greatest needs have been identified as shelter, healthcare, food and non-food items.

ADRA Syria has established two shelters in local schools in Aleppo, and has also provided 800 people in a shelter in Latakia with drinking water, cash vouchers, and blankets.

The team is working to establish additional provisional shelters in schools and will begin repairing water and sanitation facilities.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced a three-month state of emergency in the 10 provinces worst-affected by the earthquakes.

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UPDATE on ADRA’s Syria and Türkiye (formerly Turkey) Response: February 7

In the early hours of Monday 6 February, a 7.8 magnitude tremor struck Türkiye (formerly Turkey) near the city of Gaziantep. Another earthquake measuring magnitude 7.7 struck central Türkiye following the initial quake, with the Syrian capital of Damascus also hit.

The death toll across Türkiye and Syria sits at over 3,400 and the World Health Organisation estimates the number of fatalities is expected to reach 20,000 people.

ADRA is already on the ground responding. Your donation today is providing those affected with shelter, food, water, blankets and flashlights.

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