On Monday 6th February, two enormous 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck the regions of South East Türkiye (Turkey) and North West Syria. Approximately 13.5 million people have been affected by the disaster.

The first earthquake hit at 4.17am while many were asleep in their homes, and was followed by several aftershocks as large as 6.5 magnitude only minutes later. The provinces of Kayseri, Malatya, Adana Diyarbakır, Gaziantep and Hatay are among the 10 areas to have been impacted in the Turkish region. Tremors were felt as far as Cyprus, Egypt and Lebanon.

Within 12 hours of the first earthquake and with rescue operations already underway, a second large earthquake with a magnitude of 7.5 hit the region once more.

According to latest reports, a combined total of more than 5,000 people have already been confirmed dead across Türkiye and Syria, with the number rising by the hour.

Other Reports Mention:

- 5,386 people have been injured

- 2,818 buildings have been destroyed

In war-torn North West Syria, a lack of infrastructure due to more than a decade of protracted conflict has left the affected population even more vulnerable. Millions of internally displaced Syrians are living in camps, and those hit hard by the crisis are entirely reliant on international aid to assist with this emergency. Communications are almost completely down, and health facilities are understaffed and under-resourced. The situation on the ground is dire.

More than 14,000 people have been reported injured across the affected provinces in Türkiye, with many more trapped in the rubble following the terrifying collapse of infrastructure and almost 6,000 buildings. Ongoing rescue operations are taking place in a desperate bid to save lives.

The earthquakes are the worst to hit the Turkish region in 19 years and in Syria, the worst in over a century.

Freezing temperatures, shortages in fuel and electricity due to damaged infrastructure, limited supplies due to strained supply chains and more are hampering the efforts of search and rescue teams on the ground. Approximately 380,000 people have taken refuge in government shelters, shopping malls, community centres and even their cars to protect them from the cold.

The scale of this disaster cannot yet be determined as the situation on the ground continues to evolve, what we do know is that it is a race against time to save lives.

Please donate generously to our Türkiye Syria Earthquake Appeal now.