ActionAid, with other DEC charities, is providing immediate and urgent response to those affected by two powerful earthquakes have struck Turkey and Syria and we need your help.

On 6 February 2023, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit near the border of Turkey and Syria, 20 miles from Gaziantep, a major city in Turkey. A second earthquake struck in the hours afterwards.

Over 40,000 people have died so far in Turkey and Syria, and many more have been injured and displaced.

Heavy rain and extreme weather conditions are making it even more difficult for search and rescue teams to recover people from the wreckage. Winter in the regions means very cold temperatures and this will likely add to the challenges faced by many people who have lost their homes as a result of the earthquake.

Hospitals and medical facilities have been destroyed in this earthquake and we need support to ensure lives are saved during this crisis. Countless families are homeless and are in desperate need of shelter, medical aid, food, cash, and sources of heat.

We are concerned that there will be a serious lack of shelter, especially amid the harsh winter conditions. This is likely to leave people, particularly women and girls, exposed and without any form of privacy.

ActionAids initial response is taking place in Northwest Syria as part of our ongoing humanitarian and resilience programme. We are responding through our partner organisation, Violet, who are based in Turkey and have been working across the border into Syria to support communities affected by the humanitarian situation during the harsh winter months.

In the immediate aftermath of this disaster the priority is providing emergency support in the way of search and rescue missions, distributing ready-to-eat food supplies including bread and water and distributing blankets and thermal clothes.

Set up your fundraiser today to raise valuable funds for our appeal. Just click the orange start fundraising button.

- £30 could pay for a heater to keep one family warm

- £50 could provide a mother and two children with thermal clothes and blankets to survive the freezing conditions

- £120 could provide emergency ready-to-eat food for three families

- £270 could provide for a heater for nine families to keep warm

Alternatively, click the red 'Give now' button to make a personal contribution. Together, we are changing the world with women and girls.

Thank you for your incredible support!