Turkey and Syria earthquake: how to help now

A 7.8-magnitude tremor earthquake struck south-eastern Turkey on 6 February – here's what we can do to help
Turkey and Syria earthquake how to help now
Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Support is still urgently needed after two powerful earthquakes caused devastating damage and killed tens of thousands of people in southeast Turkey and northern Syria. In a region already host to millions of refugees who fled Syria's war, many hospitals themselves need to be evacuated at a time when they were most needed to ensure the well-being of patients and staff. 

The best way to help the communities affected is still to make international donations to fund the global relief charities providing medical services and essentials such as food, water and sanitation services. The logistics needed to deliver life-saving aid are made more complicated and catastrophic through closed crossings and crumbling roads due to the two quakes registering as 7.8 and 7.7 magnitudes on the Richter scale, straddling the Turkey-Syria border. 

Can I go to Turkey right now? 

One of the ways we can also support Turkey is to continue to travel there – outside the areas devastated by the earthquake. The country is open for business and eager to still host visitors as usual. Many of the resorts that Brits would visit in Turkey are hundreds of miles from the area affected by the earthquakes, and there are no travel restrictions in place to these destinations. 

How else can we help?

 Personnel and civilians conduct search and rescue operations in Idlib, Syria after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hits Turkiye's Kahramanmaras, on February 06, 2023.Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Donate to global relief organisations, now.

The thousands of victims of the two earthquakes and those affected by the damaging 100-plus aftershocks are still desperate for support, and the efforts of these charities are funded by much-needed financial donations for emergency supplies — please do share this article with anyone you think might want to help fund these relief endeavours.

In the earthquake that happened at 4.16 am in Turkey, houses in Syria were destroyed on February 6, 2023. dia images/Getty Images

The Intrepid Foundation, the not-for-profit travel operators Intrepid Travel, has launched an emergency appeal. They've now raised almost £94,000 to support relief and continue matching donations. The foundation has partnered with Australian Red Cross to get immediate and longer-term relief to communities affected, working with Red Cross and Red Crescent. They donate all profits from Turkey trips until the end of April to the Red Cross.

Donate now to theintrepidfoundation.org

Oxfam says: 'Southern Turkey has been heavily affected, especially areas around Gaziantep and Hatay/Antakya. These are major hubs for NGOs supporting Syria through cross-border humanitarian operations. The earthquake also hit areas in North West Syria, which continue to be heavily affected by the conflict and host the majority of the 6.7 million Syrians who have had to leave their homes. Oxfam’s response in Syria is currently supporting 1.5 million people.'

Donate now to oxfam.org.uk

Humanity & Inclusion is an NGO working hard to ensure that people with disabilities and new injuries receive the specific care they need: “We expect a huge need for rehabilitation. There are thousands of injured people, and many of these injuries may worsen or turn into permanent disabilities if they do not receive appropriate rehabilitation services. In addition, people have suffered significant trauma and will need psychosocial support.”

Donate now to humanity-inclusion.org.uk

Doctors Without Borders – also known as Médecins Sans Frontières – is responding to this disaster through their teams working in northwestern Syria and are working with local partners on the ground. 

Donate now to donate.doctorswithoutborders.org

UNICEF is working in an area where four million Syrians depend on humanitarian aid, and they are helping unaccompanied children find their families in the world’s biggest refugee host country. “That the initial earthquake happened so early in the morning, when many children were fast asleep, made it even more dangerous, and the aftershocks bring continuing risks. Our hearts and thoughts are with the children and families affected, especially those who have lost loved ones or who have been injured. Our immediate priority is to ensure children and families affected receive the support they so desperately need.”

Donate now to unicef.org.uk

Save the Children is one of the international charities mobilising support in the areas in need and helping children and families in the regions hit by this disaster where a crisis has hit an area already experiencing an existing crisis. “This is one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the region in 100 years and made thousands homeless, while the region is experiencing freezing weather and snowstorms. Schools in the affected areas are now closed for a week. Our teams are moving quickly to check all our staff are safe, and to respond to the emergency, but it's crucial that the international community acts now to provide support to the thousands of people in need,” says Sasha Ekanayake, Save the Children Türkiye.

Donate now to savethechildren.org.uk

SAMS (Syrian American Medical Society) is a global medical relief effort providing crisis relief in Syria and beyond.

Donate now to sams-usa.net

How else can you help? 

Please help raise awareness about the organisations in need of funds, and share these links with your friends and family to donate through official channels — we will update this page as more information becomes available.