An overview
A major earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck south-east Türkiye and north Syria on 6 February 2023. At least 8.8 million people have been affected by the earthquake in the Syrian Arab Republic (Syria), with the majority anticipated to need some form of humanitarian assistance. Prior to the earthquake, an estimated 15.3 million people in Syria were already in need of humanitarian assistance. This new emergency is compounding suffering in a country already devastated by 12 years of crisis.
From the very first day, UNHCR has been working with partners to deliver life-saving assistance in the most affected areas including north-west Syria.
Main needs & gaps
UNHCR and partners have been conducting assessments, to better respond to the needs of affected families. Some of the main priority needs and gaps are shelter, core relief items, winterization assistance (including winter clothing), psychosocial support, legal counseling on civil documentation and housing, land, and property, and gender-based violence.
Gaps in humanitarian services are observed in all sectors, as the assistance provided is far from meeting the severe needs of affected families.
Through prioritizing forcibly displaced people and host communities, UNHCR will:
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Support Syria through the provision of life-saving humanitarian assistance for all those affected by the earthquake, with a specific focus on the most vulnerable.
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Deliver protection services to people impacted by the earthquakes to meet immediate needs with consideration to longer-term needs.
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Ensure effective coordination of the inter-agency response, especially in the protection and shelter/non-food items sectors.
Vital aid reaches Syrian quake survivors who – again – have lost everything
UNHCR delivers assistance to families left homeless by the disaster, while reopening of aid route to northwest Syria offers hope to those already displaced during country’s 12-year crisis.
UNHCR: Over 5 million may need shelter support in Syria after quake
This is a summary of what was said by Sivanka Dhanapala, UNHCR Representative in Syria – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today’s press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. He was speaking from Damascus.
UNHCR responds to deadly earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria
Teams from the UN Refugee Agency are on the ground to provide life-saving assistance to families affected by the disaster. Two powerful earthquakes that struck south-eastern Türkiye and northern Syria on 6 February have claimed thousands of lives and caused untold...