Supporting Partners in Türkiye and Syria after the February 2023 Earthquake

Workers construct a safe new home for a family affected by the earthquake in Syria.

Episcopal Relief & Development Renews Partnerships with the ACT Alliance, DKH and IBC to Provide Earthquake Recovery In Türkiye and Syria

Press Release

May 29, 2024

Episcopal Relief & Development is continuing its partnerships with the ACT Alliance, Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH) and International Blue Crescent (IBC) to administer community-centered relief in Türkiye and Syria following the devastating earthquake in 2023.

In February 2023, earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria affected close to 18 million people, killed over 55,000 people, and injured hundreds of thousands of others. Over one year later, millions of displaced families are still living in temporary shelters, children are unable to attend school and household providers are facing economic hardship. 

Working together with the ACT Alliance, DKH, IBC and local implementing partners for a second year, Episcopal Relief & Development is creating safe and accessible housing and providing opportunities for children, women and older adults to restart their lives post-earthquake. Relief will include food, water, education, and financial and mental health support.

“The devastation from the earthquakes is far-reaching. Through our partnerships with community-based organizations, Episcopal Relief & Development is able to be in many places at once, serving displaced people and meeting their unique needs,” said Nagulan Nesian, Senior Program Officer, Episcopal Relief & Development. “Over one year after this major disaster, we are still working to ensure support for both emerging needs and interventions that will build resilience.” 

The 2024 programming will build off of the relief and resilience-building projects from the prior year where completed projects helped 35,000 people have access to clean water and 10,000 families with food, medicine, winterization kits and mental health support in Syria. Likewise in Türkiye, 3,000 people learned new skills that have helped them earn income and 10,000 households received direct cash assistance and services to meet urgent needs. In 2024, Episcopal Relief & Development and its partners will continue to focus on hygiene and sanitation, safe housing, and helping families have financial independence.

Please continue to pray for those who have been affected by the earthquake. Donations to Episcopal Relief & Development’s International Disaster Fund will help the organization continue to respond to communities impacted by this disaster.

Photo Credit: International Blue Crescent 

Episcopal Relief & Development Supports People in Türkiye with Food, Shelter and Other Supplies

Press Release

May 31, 2023

Episcopal Relief & Development is partnering with Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH) and International Blue Crescent (IBC) to provide food, shelter, supplies and mental health support to people in Türkiye affected by the earthquakes in early February 2023. 

Close to 18 million people in Türkiye and Syria were impacted by the earthquakes, which killed over 55,000 people and injured almost 130,000. Before the quake, Türkiye hosted the largest number of refugees in the world, including 3.6 million Syrians. Currently, over four million people in Türkiye are living in tents or informal shelters near their damaged homes. 

“The situation in Türkiye remains a crisis for those impacted by the earthquakes,” said Nagulan Nesiah, Senior Program Officer, Disaster Resilience. “We are actively engaging with our partners throughout the region to continue to assess peoples’ needs and provide support as necessary.”

With Episcopal Relief & Development’s support, DKH is responding to meet the needs of over 30,000 people in Türkiye by providing needs-based, dignified, safe and community-driven support. Their response will include providing shelter to 2,000 people, family hygiene kits for 12,000, clean water for 4,800, mental health services for 300 and staff care for 95. 

Additionally, Episcopal Relief & Development is working with IBC to support 1,000 displaced people living in a camp in Özdere, Izmir, Türkiye. IBC will also provide hot meals, cleaning supplies and personal hygiene kits to those living in the camp, who range from infants to elderly people. 

Please continue to pray for those who have been affected by the earthquake. Donations to the Türkiye-Syria Earthquake Response Fund will help the organization to continue to respond to communities impacted by this disaster.

Photo Courtesy of the ACT Alliance

Supporting International Blue Crescent in Türkiye 

Update

March 8, 2023

Episcopal Relief & Development is partnering with International Blue Crescent to support people in Türkiye displaced by the earthquake. This work includes:

  • Cooking hot meals for 1,000 people living in a camp in Özdere, Izmir, Türkiye for one month
  • Providing hygiene and cleaning supplies for people in the camp, who range from infants to the elderly

Please continue to pray for those who have been affected by the earthquake. Donations to the Türkiye-Syria Earthquake Response Fund will help the organization to continue to respond to communities impacted by this disaster. 

Episcopal Relief & Development Partners with the ACT Alliance to Support Earthquake Survivors in Syria

Update 

February 21, 2023

With the support of Episcopal Relief & Development, Action by Churches Together (ACT Alliance) continues to respond to emergency needs in Syria. This work includes:

  • Provision of temporary accommodation and safe shelter
  • Distribution of emergency supplies including food baskets and hygiene kits
  • Repairing damaged bakeries to restart bread production to provide fresh food for local communities
  • Constructing solar power systems to provide electricity for schools, homes for the elderly, and to provide clean water
  • Implementing cholera prevention awareness
  • Conducting life skills and job training for youth
  • Providing mental health and psycho-social support for people affected

Please continue to pray for those who have been affected by the earthquake. Donations to the Türkiye-Syria Earthquake Response Fund will help the organization to continue to respond to communities impacted by this disaster. 

Episcopal Relief & Development Partners with the ACT Alliance to Support Earthquake Survivors in Syria

Press Release

Press Release

February 16, 2023

Episcopal Relief & Development is partnering with Action by Churches Together (ACT Alliance) to provide emergency relief to people affected by the 7.8- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. Working through the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) and other local organizations, the ACT Alliance is providing shelter, supplies and support to families and local hospitals. 

More than 39,000 people have been killed in Türkiye and Syria following the earthquakes and thousands of buildings have been destroyed or deemed unusable. Cold weather combined with rain and snow has complicated conditions for those without shelter. In Syria, an estimated 10.9 million people have been affected and up to 5.3 million may have lost their homes. 

MECC is responding in Syria by sheltering 10,000 families in open-air or structurally sound facilities; providing survivors with hot meals, blankets, medicine and trauma support; supplying body bags and other necessities to hospitals; and helping children return to school to bring more stability. Additionally, local organizations are providing winterization and hygiene kits, cash transfers and emotional support for people in Syria. 

“We have been partnering with the ACT Alliance for over 20 years,” said Abagail Nelson, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Episcopal Relief & Development. “Most recently, we’ve worked together to support families affected by the war in Syria. Partners had pre-positioned supplies in the area. This has allowed us to respond quickly to those who need assistance due to this devastating earthquake.”

Episcopal Relief & Development continues to talk with partners working in Türkiye and Syria to assess the medium- and long-term needs. 

Please continue to pray for those who have been affected by the earthquake. Donations to the Türkiye-Syria Earthquake Response Fund will help the organization to continue to respond to communities impacted by this disaster.

Photo Courtesy of the ACT Alliance
Photo Courtesy of the ACT Alliance

Supporting Partners in Türkiye and Syria after the February 2023 Earthquake

Update 

February 9, 2023

Episcopal Relief & Development’s partner Action by Churches Together (ACT Alliance) has:

  • Distributed 40,000 winterization kits that include blankets, pajamas and mattresses
  • Provided over 230 buildings, including church halls, mosques, schools and municipal halls, for shelters
  • Begun setting up child friendly spaces, assisting in family reunification and providing emotional support for unaccompanied children

The local network of partners had supplies and staff prepositioned throughout the region, which allowed for rapid mobilization in the midst of complex weather and transportation conditions. Local partners are continuing to prepare for a long-term, sustained response.

Please continue to pray for those who have been affected by the earthquake. Donations to the Türkiye-Syria Earthquake Response Fund will help the organization to continue to respond to communities impacted by this disaster.

Web StatementWeb Statement

February 8, 2023

Episcopal Relief & Development is mobilizing with long-term partners after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Türkiye and Syria on Monday, February 6, 2023. The earthquake killed over 11,000 people and caused widespread damage across the region.  

Working through Action by Churches Together (ACT Alliance), Episcopal Relief & Development will rapidly respond to the disaster through existing networks by providing supplies including winterization kits, hot meals and other food, medicine and emergency support. The organization is also in contact with other local partners as they assess the needs of their communities.

“The reports from Türkiye and Syria are heart-wrenching,” said Abagail Nelson, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Episcopal Relief & Development. “We have worked closely with ACT Alliance in our response to the crisis in Ukraine and we will continue to partner to meet the immediate needs of the affected communities in Türkiye and Syria.”

Please continue to pray for those who have been affected by the earthquake.  Donations to the Türkiye-Syria Earthquake Response Fund will help the organization to continue to respond to communities impacted by this disaster.

For over 80 years, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working together with supporters and partners for lasting change around the world. Each year the organization facilitates healthier, more fulfilling lives for more than 3 million people struggling with hunger, poverty, disaster and disease. Inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 25, Episcopal Relief & Development leverages the expertise and resources of Anglican and other partners to deliver measurable and sustainable change in three signature program areas: Women, Children and Climate.