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Situation overview
“We rushed to the street, but where can we go? Where’s the security?’
Mohamed Jafa is a Syrian aid worker in Hatay, Turkey’s province hardest hit by the February 6 earthquake. Like millions of others in Türkiye and Syria, he was suddenly awakened at 4:17 a.m. as the walls began to shake uncontrollably.
“Everything was over. There was no internet, no mobile network and no electricity. We only heard screams from those under the rubble, but all we had were useless hands,” Mohamed said. He recalled hugging his six children before rushing outside hand in hand.
Local sources reported that the death toll from the earthquake is over 70 for aid workers, many of whom worked in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) dealing with the humanitarian situation in north-west Syria. Many are also implementing partners of the cross-border UN relief operation.
Mohamed, who originally studied engineering, has been working in the humanitarian field for over 12 years since the beginning of the crisis in Syria. He came to Hatay in 2017 from Armanaz in Idleb province and now works mainly in humanitarian reporting.
“We have suffered for 12 years and many are still without food, health or an inner sense of security. Don’t leave the people of Syria,” Mohamed said when asked about his message to the world.
The humanitarian situation in north-west Syria remains grim almost two weeks after the earthquake. As of February 16, more than 4,400 deaths and 9,000 partially or totally damaged buildings have been recorded in the region. At least 55 health facilities were reported to have suffered partial or total damage, stretching a health system overwhelmed by COVID-19, a cholera outbreak and other major medical concerns. The UN is stepping up cross-border relief efforts after sending more than 170 trucks loaded with supplies to northwestern Syria by Feb. 17. So far, aid has been provided by six UN agencies, including food, tents, blankets, winter clothing, medicines and cholera testing kits.
On February 17, a total of 35 trucks carrying relief supplies from the World Food Program (WFP) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) crossed northwestern Syria, using both the Bab Al-Hawa (33 trucks) and the Bab Al-Salam crossings (two TRUCK).
The UN is also rapidly mobilizing resources. OCHA’s Syria Cross-border Humanitarian Fund (SCHF) has so far received generous support from Germany, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
However, given the scale of this crisis, more support is needed. The United Nations and humanitarian partners are demanding $397.6 million in a lightning appeal for Syria launched on February 14.
Disclaimer
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs To learn more about OCHA’s activities, please visit https://www.unocha.org/.