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

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

Improving living and health conditions in Syria

We are working with local partners to improve health care and infrastructure for people affected by the earthquake in Syria. In Al-Shahba, north of Aleppo, we have expanded a hospital and built a solar-powered well with our Syrian partner Heyva Sor. Given the tense security situation, we are now focusing on emergency relief in two refugee camps in north-eastern Syria. A new clinic is being expanded and supplied with medicines, while clean drinking water and sanitation facilities are being provided for internally displaced people. Many have fled to the region since November 2024 and are in urgent need of support.

Earthquake relief for people with disabilities

Together with the Syrian organisation Mousawat, we are supporting people with disabilities and their families in the earthquake-affected areas of Aleppo and north-western Syria. This project provides immediate emergency aid, including relief supplies, emergency shelters, and mobility assistance, as well as rehabilitation measures such as physiotherapy and psychosocial support. We are also creating sustainable income opportunities to help people achieve long-term economic independence.

Reconstruction and support for children in Syria

Since the summer of 2023, we have been working with our partner organisation, the Syrian Association for Relief and Development (SARD), on reconstruction in northern Syria. Affected families receive cash assistance to rebuild their homes, while SARD helps repair damaged community centers. Beyond reconstruction, we are providing psychosocial support to children and their families, as well as training on children's rights.

Supporting small businesses and infrastructure projects in Turkey

We are also working with SARD in Turkey. Our focus is on rebuilding damaged infrastructure and restoring homes. For example, we are weatherproofing 145 earthquake-damaged homes by installing doors and windows and repairing roofs. We are also helping small business owners to rebuild their livelihoods and regain financial stability.

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.

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.

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