Emergency aid and reconstruction after the earthquake

On February 6, 2023, two devastating earthquakes struck the Turkish-Syrian border region. More than 50,000 people lost their lives, over 100,000 were injured and a total of 26 million people were affected by the disaster. Together with Volkshilfe Austria, Solidar Suisse and local partners from Turkey and Syria, AWO International provided immediate emergency aid and continues to support people on the ground with psychosocial care and help with reconstruction.

The picture shows two men carrying boxes of emergency aid. In the background are tents that serve as temporary accommodation. — Together with our partner organisations, we are providing both vital emergency relief as well as long-term support for the reconstruction process.

Rapid response in Turkey and Syria

The 2023 earthquake is one of the worst natural disasters to hit the region. Together with our Syrian and Turkish partner organizations, we have provided vital emergency aid and continue to work on rebuilding public infrastructure. Refugee families, the elderly and people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable - many are living in makeshift tents as winter temperatures drop below freezing.

How we help on the ground

AWO International is supporting people in the affected areas through

Cash grants to buy urgently needed items
Winter-proof shelters to protect families
Psychosocial support for traumatised people and children
Rebuilding infrastructure to provide long-term relief
Distribution of food, hygiene kits, and heating materials
Support for people with disabilities through mobility aids, physical therapy, and counseling
Income generation and vocational training, especially for women and small business owners
Construction and equipping of hospitals, as well as provision of clean drinking water and sanitation facilities

The picture shows a man carrying a box out of a lorry. Another man's legs can be seen standing inside the lorry.

AWO International supports over 40,000 people in Turkey and Syria in meeting their most urgent needs.

Together with Syrian Woman Network we organise the distribution of relief goods in Turkey.

Already a few days after the earthquake, our partners from the Hiro Centre distributed emergency aid packages to those affected.

Hiro staff distribute emergency packages to the families every fortnight over a period of three months.

A woman and a man talk. Next to them there are wheelchairs.

Our partner Mousawat supports people with disabilities in Syria and distributes wheelchairs and walking aids, for example.

A woman stands in the door of a tent. In the tent another woman sits on the floor.

Months after the earthquake, many people continue to live in temporary shelters and tents

Two children and a woman stand in front of a tent.

Together with ZDA, we support Roma families with relief goods and cash assistance.

Our partner organisation SARD distributes cash aid to affected families in Syria.

In the picture a woman pays the seller for food.

They can use the money to buy food, medicine and warm clothes for the winter.

A man and a woman help to rebuild houses

SARD is also supporting 145 families to rebuild their houses and flats damaged by the earthquake.

People wait in line to get boxes of winter clothes

In order to prepare people for the winter, our Syrian partner organisation Sawaedna has started distributing winter clothing and heating material to 950 families.

Together with Hiro, we installed solar-powered streetlights to make the streets safer.

The picture shows a woman standing in front of a large shelf of medicines.

Together with our partners and the local organisation Heyva Sor, we are providing medical assistance, distributing medicines and developing health infrastructure.

The picture shows a man and a woman in the centre. The woman is holding a baby and the man has several tins of baby food in his hand.

Heyva Sor, for example, distributes baby food to displaced families in Tabqa.

The picture shows people setting up a tent.

Heyva Sor also helped set up tents to shelter the displaced families.

The picture shows a man in a waistcoat talking to an elderly man. He seems to be writing something down.

Food and hygiene packages are distributed with the help of local partner organisations.

Several children can be seen in the picture. They are laughing.

Group activities are organised for the children. They can play and receive psychosocial support.

The picture shows a girl in the centre, jumping in a large sack and smiling. Other children and an adult can be seen watching from the side.

Besides playing games, training on children's rights is also organised.

Current projects

Emergency aid and reconstruction projects following the 2023 earthquake were completed at the end of May 2025. We are currently planning further support for internally displaced persons and returnees in collaboration with two Syrian partner organisations.

We were the first team to reach the Kurdish neighborhood of Sheikh Maqsoud in Aleppo, and we remained the only team to regularly distribute food and hygiene packages there. Although some time has passed since the earthquake, we continue to see that people still need support - whether in the form of food, hygiene items, or psychological assistance.

Taha Khalil - Director of the Hiro Center for Dialogue and Rehabilitation, Aleppo/ Syria

Completed projects

Emergency relief and rehabilitation in Aleppo

Together with the Hiro Center for Dialogue and Rehabilitation, we regularly distributed food and hygiene packages in Sheikh Maqsoud, a district of Aleppo, from February 2023 to December 2024. In addition, we supported the repair of destroyed houses to ensure that affected families had a warm home during the winter. To improve safety, we installed solar-powered street lights and rebuilt a city park that had been destroyed by the earthquake, providing the community with a public meeting place.

Supporting women and children

Our Syrian partner organisation, Sawaedna, is a women's initiative with extensive experience in humanitarian aid. Sawaedna began distributing aid immediately after the earthquake. During the initial emergency phase, the focus was on distributing emergency kits, mattresses and blankets in the Azaz and Afrin regions. We also worked with Sawaedna to provide psychosocial counselling and child protection courses. To help families prepare for winter, the organisation distributed winter clothing and heating materials to 950 families.

Emergency aid for people with disabilities in Aleppo

In collaboration with our partner organisation, Mousawat, we provided targeted support to people with disabilities and their families in the aftermath of the earthquake in northern Syria. Those affected received aid packages containing food, blankets and hygiene items, walking aids and wheelchairs, and physiotherapy services. Children and adults also received psychosocial care. We also provided training for family members to help them support people with disabilities more effectively in crisis situations.

Reconstruction and support for children in Syria

From summer 2023 to spring 2025, AWO International supported families in the regions around Azaz, Suran, Mare and Akhtarin that were severely affected by the earthquake, together with its partner organisation, the Syrian Association for Relief and Development (SARD). More than 10,500 people received cash assistance to rebuild their homes and repair community centres and other important infrastructure, as well as support for income generation. Children received special protection: they were given psychosocial support, and we strengthened their knowledge of their rights through training courses.

Earthquake relief for people with disabilities

In collaboration with the Syrian organisation Mousawat, we provided support to people with disabilities and their families in earthquake-stricken areas around Aleppo and northwestern Syria. The project provided emergency relief in the form of aid supplies, emergency shelters and mobility aids, as well as rehabilitation measures such as physical therapy and psychosocial care. Additionally, sustainable income opportunities were created to promote the long-term economic independence of those affected.

Improving living and health conditions in Syria

In collaboration with local partners, we enhanced medical care and infrastructure for those affected by the earthquake in Syria. In Al-Shaba, north of Aleppo, we expanded a hospital and constructed a solar-powered well. Due to the tense security situation, the second part of the project focused on providing emergency aid to two refugee camps in north-eastern Syria. There, we expanded and supplied another clinic with medicines. Clean drinking water and sanitary facilities were also provided for internally displaced people. Many people have fled to the region and are in urgent need of support.

Solidarity campaign by AWO Bochum

With the support of AWO Bochum, 550 aid packages were distributed in the Turkish city of Adıyaman, which was severely affected by the earthquake. Each package provided for a family for one month and contained essential food items such as rice, bulgur, lentils, canned goods, cooking oil, and pasta.

Emergency relief in south-east Turkey

Together with the Syrian Women Network, we distributed vital relief supplies in southeastern Turkey following the earthquake. In total, we supported 610 families with food and hygiene packages.

Support for Roma families

Our partner organisation, Zero Discrimination Association (ZDA), focused on supporting the Roma population in Turkey's earthquake zones, a group that often faces discrimination. ZDA provided emergency aid to 6,900 people, including food, tents, and blankets. In addition, 4,400 vulnerable Roma received cash assistance and vouchers. The organization also facilitated access to humanitarian aid through counseling and referral services and built sanitary facilities (toilets, showers, and washing areas) for Roma families in tent camps.

Support for small business owners and infrastructure projects in Turkey

In collaboration with our partner organisation, SARD, we prioritised rebuilding destroyed infrastructure and restoring housing. For instance, we weatherproofed houses damaged by the earthquake by installing doors and windows or repairing roofs. We also helped small business owners to rebuild a secure income base.   

Support for families after the earthquake in Turkey

From March 2024 to May 2025, we collaborated with Solidar Suisse, SARD and ZDA to provide assistance to families affected by the earthquake in Adıyaman province. Those worst affected received assistance to repair damaged houses, winter packages for container settlements, income support and vocational training, particularly for women. Those affected also received psychosocial support, while local authorities were trained in disaster preparedness and humanitarian management.

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