On the ground

Those who have seen their homes disappear face at least weeks of displacement in the cold of winter in makeshift camps.

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey shortly after 4 am on February 6 local time, with catastrophic impacts also reaching northern Syria. A second quake, registering a magnitude of 7.5, struck again just nine hours later. There have also been at least 120 aftershocks since then. According to estimates from February 14, the disaster has caused more than 35,000 deaths and 85,000 injuries. More than a million people had to be received in shelters. On February 7, the Turkish government declared a state of emergency in the ten provinces affected by the earthquakes for three months.

Thousands of families have become homeless, either because their homes have been destroyed or because they are prohibited from returning to them for security reasons. These families do not have shelter or the most basic hygiene items and face at least weeks of displacement.

There is an urgent need to provide hygiene kits and shelter kits, items to face the winter cold, medical care, fuel to heat communal shelters, and cash to buy essential items.

In detail

The acquisition of hygiene kits is carried out urgently to meet the immediate needs of those affected. We have conducted a market assessment to identify key local and regional suppliers, prioritizing those able to provide the required quantities of kits. If local suppliers cannot meet the demand, we will turn to regional ones to ensure a constant supply of these items. In addition, we have established direct communication with suppliers to negotiate the best possible conditions and ensure a smooth procurement process.

The composition of the hygiene kits is determined according to the recommendations of the Northwest Syria Cross-Border WASH Cluster (targeted for areas near Gaziantep). The kits will contain baby hygiene items, washing clothes and dishes, garbage collection, menstrual hygiene, personal hygiene, and dental care. They will also include body soap and other things that may be needed, according to the WASH group recommendations.

We collaborate with AFAD to ensure that the hygiene kits reach the families that need them most. AFAD leads the beneficiary selection process based on its ongoing needs assessments and is in charge of direct distribution with the support of World Vision technicians who monitor distribution. The purpose of monitoring is to ensure that all selected beneficiaries receive the kits and to conduct satisfaction surveys to check the adequacy of the items distributed.