Oxfam GB

Oxfam, together with local partner organisations, need your support to reach people affected by the earthquakes in Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria. This is an urgent appeal for assistance.

WHY YOUR HELP IS NEEDED

In the early hours of 6 February, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria, followed by another earthquake soon afterwards. Many thousands of people have been killed. Survivors who have been forced to flee their homes are now facing freezing temperatures. Infrastructure is heavily damaged, and we know that means people will struggle to find safe shelter, water and food.

Oxfam has launched an appeal to support people affected by this disaster. Our teams in Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria are working with partner organisations to assess the types of immediate and longer-term support that are needed to help people in the aftermath of Monday’s devastating earthquakes. The emergency response is expected to include water and sanitation, shelter and food support as well as longer-term rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Any donation, big or small, matters right now.

Credit and Image caption - Civil defence workers and residents search through the rubble of collapsed buildings in the town of Harem near the Turkish border, Idlib province, Syria. Copyright © 2023 Shutterstock.

In Cox’s Bazaar refugee camp, Bangladesh, where over 855,000 Rohingya are living in extremely overcrowded conditions, we have stepped up our work on hygiene promotion and scaled up measures like soap distribution and sanitation facilities to help 70,000 refugees. Nur, a Rohingya refugee, stands inside her house wearing a protective mask as she prepares to go outside in Cox’s Bazar. She tells us, "I have lived in this refugee camp for almost three years. There are many challenges we are facing, including hot weather. It’s tough to live inside these tents. Now we cannot go to market to buy essential items. We are not able to work so we are having trouble. We do not have any money so we cannot buy what we need.”

Credit - Fabeha Monir/Oxfam

Abeer runs a small potato takeaway restaurant in Southern Gaza called Mrs. Kumpir. Kumpir means potato - the shop specialises in baked potatoes with various toppings. Abeer received support from Oxfam and partner Maan to set up her business through training and access to machinery. The takeaway is busy, and customers enjoy the meals, however running a business in Gaza still presents challenges – irregular electricity schedules and lack of access to basic stock supplies makes things difficult for Abeer on a daily basis.

“As a woman, me and a group of my friends enjoy a strong determination. If we intend to do something, we can get it, and that’s great. Lots of women have ideas - all they need is support. My dream work is with women."

Credit - Kieran Doherty/Oxfam