At 4:17 a.m. local time on February 6, a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck central Türkiye near the city of Gaziantep, along the border with Syria. Just 11 minutes later, the region was struck again, by a 6.7 magnitude aftershock. These strong quakes were followed by more in the early afternoon, with a 7.5 magnitude tremblor hitting the region, followed by a 6.0 magnitude aftershock.

The powerful quakes, which were felt as far away as Lebanon, Cyprus, Iraq and Egypt, have killed tens of thousands of people in Türkiye and Syria, and injured many more. Though search-and-rescue operations are under way across the region, response efforts will be complicated by difficult weather conditions—temperatures are expected to dip as low as 19°F, with frequent rain, snow and ice—as well as ongoing conflict in northern Syria.

Islamic Relief teams are on the ground right now responding to the disaster in both Türkiye and Northern Syria.

Ahmed Mahmoud, Islamic Relief’s Head of Mission in Syria and
Turkiye, said:

“Our team is working tirelessly around the clock to reach as many people as they can, all while trying to keep their own families safe. We’ve managed to get vital aid to thousands of people so far, but the needs are enormous and so much more aid is needed. People have lost their homes and everything they have and are now stuck outside and scared of freezing to death. People urgently need food and shelter."

At PER, we want to raise money to help Islamic Relief carry out its urgent and lifesaving work. Whether you wish to donate £5, £50, or £500, any amount is greatly appreciated. Thank you.