The situation in Northwest Syria is extremely dire.
After more than 12 years of conflict, the country was already one of the most fragile in the world. Monday’s earthquake has killed thousands of people, affected millions of families, and destroyed countless buildings and infrastructure across the region.
Humanitarian needs in Northwest Syria were already at an all-time high, with 4.1 million people depending on humanitarian assistance and 1.8 million people living in displacement camps. Now, with the loss of buildings and homes, we’re helping more displaced people than we ever have before.
While logistical challenges to delivering emergency aid are multiplying — unreliable communications, dwindling supplies, limited shelter options, and poor weather conditions — Mercy Corps is working around the clock to do everything we can to support the 4.5 million people in Northwest Syria who have been affected by the earthquake.
Rescue workers searching through the wreckage of last Monday’s catastrophic earthquake.
Mercy Corps has been providing humanitarian aid in Syria since 2008 and I have led operations there over the last three years. Thankfully, our 45 team members working in the Northwest region are safe. Despite being deeply and personally affected by this tragedy, they have immediately taken action to help families devastated by this earthquake.
Our team’s immediate focus is distributing kits to displaced families, assessing damage to water boreholes, setting up temporary shelters, and planning emergency cash assistance. As the most critical needs evolve in the weeks and months ahead, we will continue to keep you updated and provide further opportunities to help.
There is a long road ahead for Syria to recover and rebuild from this disaster. Mercy Corps has more than 40 years of experience responding in moments of crisis, connecting communities with solutions that go beyond emergency aid and make lasting change possible.
Thank you for your generosity, that helps us respond in urgent moments of crisis like this one and stay the course long after.
Sincerely,
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Kieren Barnes
Syria Country Director
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