Concern Worldwide is scaling up its emergency response in freezing conditions providing essential needs to thousands of people impacted by the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
The Irish humanitarian organisation’s teams constructed tents and are distributing food, including hot soup, water and blankets in the worst affected areas of south east Turkey.
They are also helping to move people from unsafe areas and damaged buildings into community centres deemed to be earthquake proof so families have somewhere safe to sleep.
Entire neighbourhoods were flattened by the 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that began at 4:17am local time on Monday, killing over 16,000 people so far with fears this toll could rise further.
There are buildings in ruins, fires, fractures in roads blocking people and vehicles moving. Thousands are homeless in harsh sub-zero wintery conditions.
It is believed there are thousands of people still under the rubble who need to be found and saved.
Concern was already working in the areas most affected in Turkey and working with partners in north-west Syria where many people were already displaced due to conflict.
The organisation’s 500 Turkish and Syrian staff survived the earthquakes, but were left traumatised and many are working from their cars due to the fear of more buildings collapsing during the hundreds of aftershocks that are still ongoing.
The World Health Organisation estimates that 23 million people across Turkey and Syria could be affected by the earthquakes, including 1.4 million children.
Concern launched an emergency appeal for Turkey and Syria and urges anyone who would like to support it to go to concern.net or to call 0818 410 510.
