Deadly Earthquake in Syria and Turkey
1 year after the deadly earthquakes, millions of children and families are still struggling to rebuild their lives.
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Ιt's been a year since the devastating earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria, but the needs of families and children affected by them remain enormous. Thousands of families are living in temporary settlements or containers, facing difficulties that continue to burden their daily lives.
Nearly 4 million children, including approximately 390,000 refugee and migrant children in 11 provinces, don't have access education. These challenges have led to a decrease in food intake for children and an increase in cases of child labour and forced marriages.
UNICEF has been on the front line from the very beginning to respond to the needs of children and families affected by the devastating natural disaster.
UNICEF's emergency response focused on:
- Providing drinking water and sanitation (WASH) services
- Providing temporary safe shelter
- Child protection and immediate psychosocial support services
- Nutrition and education services
- Clothing, blankets and specially designed mother-baby kits
- Operation of child-friendly spaces and temporary learning spaces
UNICEF's work to date
One year on, UNICEF's humanitarian assistance in the affected areas continues and includes support for mobile education, family-friendly facilities and cash assistance.
By the end of 2023, over 1.5 million children and caregivers have received psychosocial support, while another 3.6 million people have been informed about violence and human rights issues through social media.
To date, UNICEF has ensured access to safe water for over 3 million people, and hygiene supplies have been distributed to over 750,000 people. In addition, approximately 1 million children have access to education, including pre-school children.
The road to recovery is a long one, but UNICEF continues to be active in providing assistance and support to every child in need. Responding to crises of this magnitude is an integral part of our mission to protect and care for every child, wherever they are.
Υοu can find more about UNICEF's humanitarian respone, in the latest situation report here.
The situation of children in Turkey-Syria
In Syria, children are already facing one of the most complex humanitarian situations in the world, after 12 years of continuous conflict. The devastating earthquakes in February 2023 exacerbated the situation, causing further damage to schools, health, water and sanitation infrastructure among others. UNICEF is supporting the humanitarian response in coordination with other international and governmental agencies.
In certain areas of Turkey, poverty rates among children were already high - with around 40% of households living below the poverty line, compared to around 32% nationally. Estimates suggest that without continued local and international support, including cash transfers and ensuring access to education, this figure could rise to over 50%.
UNICEF is working closely with government agencies and its partners in the field to strengthen humanitarian assistance in affected areas, restore damaged infrastructure and provide basic services.
In addition, continued funding for health, nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene programmes is vital to ensure the health and well-being of children and reduce the risks of epidemics.
Our immediate priority is to ensure that the humanitarian needs of the millions of children affected by the devastating earthquakes continue to be supported and met.
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