What happened in Türkiye?
Powerful earthquakes ravaged southern Türkiye (formerly Turkey) and the Syrian region, killing more than 50,000 people and damaging 66,000 buildings.
Homes were destroyed or left unsafe and people slept in the open. The freezing temperatures created an immediate risk to life for people who were too afraid to return home or had no home to go back to.
In the Syrian region many buildings were already damaged by years of civil war, and that’s where some of the worst damage was reported.
ShelterBox emergency response teams visited Gaziantep, one of many cities in Türkiye left devastated by the earthquakes.
Getting aid into Türkiye was complicated. But we are used to working in challenging environments and were determined to overcome every hurdle. We worked with local authorities, partners, and Rotary, to make sure people affected by the earthquakes got the aid they needed.
Please donate today. Your support will provide emergency shelter for families affected by disasters around the world.
Donate NowYour questions answered
The initial 7.8m earthquake struck southern Türkiye (formerly Turkey), close to the northern Syria border.
The epicentre was about 20 miles from Gaziantep – a major city and provincial capital .
5,700 aftershocks were reported, including a strong 6.7m earthquake minutes after the first earthquake . A third struck the same region hours later as the rescue effort was well underway.
This region is one of the world’s most active seismic zones and earthquakes are frequently reported.
The 7.4m Izmir earthquake in 1999 killed over 17,000 people. Officials have repeatedly warned of such events.
The death toll in Türkiye (formerly Turkey) and Syria was over 50,000.
More than 66,000 buildings collapsed or were damaged and over 100,000 people were injured. The need was vast. People were homeless and out in the open in the middle of freezing winter conditions.
Before the earthquakes, 4.1 million people in the Syrian Region were in need of humanitarian assistance – mostly women and children. They faced the destruction of war and were then hit again by these events.
There are several ways you can help people affected by disasters like the earthquakes in Türkiye (formerly Turkey).
1. Donate to a charity like ShelterBox
2. Raise awareness on social media or by talking about the disaster with your friends and family
3. Stand with people who have lost their homes in Türkiye. Learn about some of the world’s hidden crises and share it with your network.
When giving to ShelterBox you are contributing to a general donation fund.
Your support today will contribute our General Fund. We believe that the best way for us to be impactful is by staying flexible, and it is essential that we have funds available to support those affected by disasters around the world.
