One month on, earthquake survivors still homeless and in need of aid

One month since the deadly earthquakes struck Türkiye and Syria, tens of thousands of people are still homeless and in desperate need of aid, Islamic Relief says.  

More than 50,000 people were killed in the earthquakes*, and now survivors are sheltering in overcrowded tents without enough food or clean water. Around 41 million people have been affected overall.  

In the month since the earthquakes, Islamic Relief teams on the ground in both countries have supported more than 886,000 people with essential aid such as providing medical items for hospitals and health centres in Syria, distributing blankets and mattresses for the homeless, and helping people get food. In Türkiye, Islamic Relief  is providing people with vouchers that they  can use to buy essentials like food or hygiene items at local shops, to help support the devastated local economy.  

Ahmed Mahmoud, Islamic Relief’s Head of Mission in Türkiye and Syria, says:   

“One month since the biggest natural disaster we have ever seen, aid has helped save many lives. Thanks to generous donors around the world we’ve been able to provide tens of thousands of families with food, water, medicine and other aid. But so much more is needed.  

“People’s homes are piles of rubble. In Syria, there are three or four families sharing a single tent, without enough food for all of them. Many water sources are still unsafe. Some families still don’t know what has happened to their loved ones and whether they died or in a hospital somewhere.  

“People lost absolutely everything and are now facing desperate poverty. They will need long-term support to help them rebuild their homes and their livelihoods.”   

*So far more than 45,000 people are confirmed to have been killed in Türkiye and around 6,000 in Syria, although this figure could still increase further. More than 30 million in Türkiye and almost 11 million in Syria have been affected.

ENDS

Notes to editors

For any questions or to request to interview one of our spokespeople, please contact:

Saeedah Haque [email protected] 020 3148 3217

About Islamic Relief

Islamic Relief is a faith-inspired, development and humanitarian agency working to transform and save the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in over 40 countries. Islamic Relief assists people according to need and does not discriminate in any way.

Set up in Birmingham in 1984 by a group of volunteers, we have assisted over 117 million people all over the world. We’re saving lives and empowering people to lift themselves out of poverty in over 40 countries – from Bangladesh to Bosnia, Pakistan to Palestine, Kenya to Kosovo. Islamic Relief is on the ground in some of the world’s most dangerous and difficult places – including Syria and Yemen – strengthening the most marginalised communities to withstand conflict and natural disasters and to build a brighter future. We also support vulnerable people in the UK in partnership with local charities and organisations.