Press release

Medair responding to devastating earthquake in Syria

The team in Aleppo determine needs and response

7 February 2023  /  Syria

 

Lausanne, 06 February 2023. Emergency relief and recovery organisation Medair is in Aleppo, Syria assessing humanitarian needs after a number of buildings collapsed in the city following a devastating earthquake in neighbouring Türkiye on 6 February 2023.

‘We are extremely worried for the families in Syria that have been affected by this earthquake,’ says Raija-Liisa Schmidt-Teigen, Country Director for Medair’s Syria programme. ‘People have already lived through more than a decade of the Syria crisis. Now, they’re losing their homes in the middle of a cold and rainy winter. This couldn’t have happened at a worse time.’

The magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the city of Kahramanmaras, Türkiye in the early hours of 6 February 2023. Tremors and aftershocks were felt across the region. In the Syrian cities of Aleppo and Hama, early reports indicate that buildings and critical infrastructure have collapsed or been critically weakened in the tremors. At the time of writing, the Syrian Ministry of Health reported that 430 people in Syria had been killed in the earthquake, though that number is expected to increase as rescue efforts continue.

‘We believe that shelter and warmth are going to be among the greatest needs in the coming days and weeks,’ says Schmidt-Teigen. ‘Our priority will be conducting needs assessments and providing emergency relief as fast as we can.’

Medair has been working in Syria since 2015, providing urgently needed health, safe water and sanitation, and shelter and infrastructure to families and communities affected by the Syria crisis.

Medair is an international humanitarian organisation that provides emergency relief and recovery services to families affected by conflict, natural disasters, and other crises. Medair currently works in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Madagascar, Poland, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, and Yemen.

Spokespeople are available for comment in English, French, and German. Media enquiries should be directed to:

Sue O’Connor
Head of Branding and Communications (English):

Email: Sue.oconnor@medair.org
Mobile: +41 789 327 532
WhatsApp: +41 779 084 003

 


This content was produced with resources gathered by Medair field and headquarters staff. The views expressed herein are those solely of Medair and should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of any other organisation.