Türkiye

One Year Anniversary: Türkiye-Syria Earthquake

In 2023, two powerful earthquakes erupted across Türkiye and Syria. One of the deadliest earthquakes in over 20 years, the initial 7.8 magnitude earthquake was centered near Gaziantep, a city in south central Türkiye home to millions of Syrian refugees. Over 40,000 people were killed, many more were injured, and thousands of buildings were destroyed. 

In response, Islamic Relief worked with local partners across Türkiye and Syria to distribute vital emergency relief. In Türkiye specifically, we provided families in need with food aid, essential non-food items including hygiene kits and blankets, and cash assistance to help pay for any other immediate needs. To this day, we continue to focus on long-term development aid.

Focus on Türkiye

While Türkiye is one of the more developed nations of those we work in across Europe, it’s still severely affected by poverty. High unemployment among youth and gender inequality have led to a significant setback in the economy, and inflation is rising as resources such as gas and electricity are almost unaffordable. In certain areas of the country, climate-induced natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and forest fires are very common. To add, Türkiye is the largest refugee hosting country in the world. As of last year, it’s home to 3.6 million refugees, almost all of which are Syrian.

Islamic Relief’s Dedication to Türkiye

​​Islamic Relief has been working in Türkiye since the early 2000s. Our goal is to provide emergency and long-term aid not only to residents of Türkiye, but Syrian and other refugee populations alike. 

A few of our interventions include:

• Emergency aid for families affected by natural disasters including the Van and Izmir earthquakes alike as well as floods and forest fires
• Humanitarian aid for Syrian and Iraqi refugees including access to basic needs such as food, healthcare, and education as well as orphan family support