Service Projects

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the southern region of Türkiye, Gaziantep, bordering Syria on 6 February 2023, followed by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake on the same day and more than thousands of aftershocks. This is the strongest ever recorded in Türkiye for near a century.

Foaz Sallom(56) and his family are one of the Syrian families who lost their homes in the earthquake and are now living in a collective shelter. "I worked for 30 years to be able to afford my home. Now everything is gone. I don’t want to live in a shelter," he says.

Widespread damage following the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, and throughout 12 years of conflict, infrastructure including the healthcare system is already overwhelmed in Syria. In the meantime, hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees are estimated to be affected after the earthquake. Extreme cold weather and snowstorms have further placed the vulnerable at risk.

The earthquake not only causes loss of home of those affected but also brings indelible grief to countless families. Turkish Red Crescent (TRC) provided medical and psychological support to Elif, who was injured in the earthquake and lost her husband, to reduce her emotional distress and to unburden herself.

The humanitarian needs are dire in the affected areas. They urgently need food, water, fuel, heating supplies, shelter and Psychological Support Service, etc.

As of 20 February, the HKRC allocated about HK$4,430,000 to support the relief operation in Syria and Türkiye, including purchased 3,765 thermal blankets, 320 family tents and 2,200 heaters for distributing to affected people; and the procurement of medical kits (including surgical drugs, anaesthetics, antiseptics, dressings, medical gloves, suture kits and plaster materials) and hygiene kits. Over 40,000 people are expected to benefit.

For people affected in Türkiye and Syria, this is just the beginning for rebuilding their homes, and humanitarian support is in dire needs in the coming years. The needs in the affected areas will keep evolving over time and along relief progress. Your donation enables HKRC to take timely response to support the vulnerable communities.

We are dedicated to walking with the survivors in the future and providing appropriate support in response to the need assessment of humanitarian work. Your support matters!