Türkİye
and Syria
earthquakes appeal
Thousands have been killed by the huge earthquakes that hit Türkiye (Turkey) and Syria. Donate now to help children affected by the earthquakes.
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Türkiye and Syria at around 4 am local time on 6 February. Millions of people have been severely affected.
Aftershocks were felt throughout the day, including two further earthquakes of 6.5 and 7.5 magnitude.
On 20 February another earthquake of 6.3 magnitude was felt in Hatay, southern Türkiye. More people have been injured or killed, and more buildings have collapsed
We are especially concerned for the safety and well-being of children who have lost their homes, those who are sleeping rough in freezing temperatures, and those who have been separated from their families.
Please donate to help us reach the children affected by this disaster.
Jableh district, Syria. Cranes are used during rescue operations, following the earthquake that hit the area on 6 February.
How will my donation help children?
We have mobilised supplies and services to support the urgent needs of children and families affected by the earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye. We are working with partners to identify unaccompanied children and reunite them with family.
In Syria, we are working to ensure access to clean water and nutrition, and seeking to secure children’s safety and wellbeing. While in Türkiye, we have mobilised vital emergency supplies and ensured access to safe spaces for children and families.
Our response in Syria
Because we had supplies in Syria, we were able to reach people affected with key life-saving supplies within 48 hours of the earthquake. This included hygiene kits, drinking water and high energy biscuits.
- Health & nutrition – 31,500 people have been provided with health and nutrition supplies. And we have screened 7,900 children under 5 for malnutrition
- Safe water & hygiene – we have provided access to safe drinking water and sanitation to 200,000 people
- Child wellbeing – 18,000 children, parents, and caregivers have received psychological first aid
- Education – we are setting up temporary learning spaces and supplying education supplies for 50,000 children. And we are assessing 221 schools for immediate repairs
Our response in Türkiye (Turkey)
- Critical supplies – Over 132,000 children now have access to critical supplies, including winter clothing, hygiene kits and electric heaters
- Shelter – 107 youth centres and dormitories have been converted into temporary accommodation
- Child wellbeing – Over 3,200 children have received psychological first aid
- Education – we are working with our partners to develop a plan to get children back into the classroom
Please help us reach the children and families affected by these devastating earthquakes. Donate today to our Türkiye and Syria earthquake appeal.
Jableh district, Syria. A family stands near the ruins of their house, which was destroyed by the devastating earthquake that hit their city.
Donating by phone
If you’re in the UK and would prefer to make a donation by phone, you can call our dedicated donation line: 0300 330 5699. For other ways you can donate please refer to our Donation FAQs.
Please donate today and help children affected by this devastating earthquake.
For the first 6 months, your monthly gift will support children affected by the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. After that, your donations will help keep children safe and healthy worldwide. In the unlikely event that the funds raised exceed what’s needed for the appeal, we will direct any excess funds to support our work to help keep children safe and healthy around the world.
From midday on 4 May 2023 until midday on 11 June 2023 all the money generously donated to UNICEF UK fundraising appeals will be celebrated in our Soccer Aid annual totaliser. Your donation will still go to the Turkiye and Syria appeal helping our vital work responding to the earthquakes.
Soccer Aid for UNICEF is the world’s biggest celebrity football match, broadcast on ITV1, supporting our amazing work around the world.
Donating Items and Volunteering
We’re currently not accepting any items for the emergency appeal. These kind offers are really appreciated, but any donated items will need to be sorted, cleaned and transported which could impact our response, so please consider making a monetary donation instead to our emergency appeals.
We’re not currently sending any volunteers to Türkiye or Syria.
The best way you can help support our emergency work in Türkiye and Syria is to donate money to the appeal. Please give what you can, your donations will help us to protect children in Türkiye and Syria.
