More than 850,000 children displaced by earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria
One month on from the two catastrophic earthquakes that struck Türkiye and Syria, more than 850,000 children remain displaced after being forced from their damaged or destroyed homes amid millions in dire need of aid, UN agencies said.
“Families forced from their homes by the earthquakes have spent the past four weeks focused on survival, their lives on hold while aftershocks continue to rumble,” said UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, Afshan Khan.
She said that it is now critical to do all we can to help families begin to rebuild their lives, providing children with psychosocial support, getting them back into learning as soon as possible, and providing some stability amid the chaos.
At the same time, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) reported on Monday that the situation for the 356,000 pregnant women in earthquake-affected areas remains critical, especially the estimated 38,800 who are expected to deliver in the coming weeks.
Hundreds of hospitals and clinics are either damaged or destroyed, and thousands of women and girls are living in over-crowded, makeshift camps exposed to freezing temperatures, UNFPA said, adding that urgent funding is key to keeping thousands healthy during their pregnancy, to help to deliver their babies safely, and to protect women and girls vulnerable to gender-based violence.
One month on from the devastating earthquakes, millions of people in Türkiye and Syria remain in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
You can support @UNOCHA‘s relief efforts: https://t.co/4USQJ9rS9o
— United Nations (@UN) March 6, 2023
According to the organization, 2.5 million children in Türkiye are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. In Syria, 500,000 people were forced to leave their homes, according to the organization.
According to UN estimates, in Türkiye and Syria, the death toll from the earthquake exceeded 50 thousand people.
A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.7 occurred in two camps on the morning of February 6. The storm destroyed dozens of houses. After the earthquake, Turkish authorities said they plan to relocate the tenants of 1.5 million residential units in Istanbul.
