LIVE TÜRKIYE UPDATE: I'm on the ground near the Türkiye-Syria border, , to bring you an update with our response.

Hi John — Elias here, checking in from Türkiye, where I've joined the IRC Emergency Response team as we assist people recovering from the cataclysmic 7.6–magnitude earthquake that struck two weeks ago. And yesterday, a second powerful earthquake just hit.

My connection isn't great, but I wanted to send you another quick note following up about what I'm seeing on the ground here. (I'll try to attach some of my photos at the bottom of this email, too.)

I'll be honest with you, John, the situation is grim. This is a humanitarian crisis like no other. The people I've talked to are scared that more damage is yet to come, and that the road to recovery looks longer and longer.

Our teams are working around the clock to deliver critical aid and information services to families in both Türkiye and Syria. If you can, please rush an emergency donation to help us meet this moment of unprecedented need: https://help.rescue.org/donate/syria-earthquake

John, here's my latest report on IRC's response efforts in this situation:

In Syria, the IRC has started multipurpose cash distributions and we aim to have reached over 4,200 households in the next two weeks. As of today, we have reached nearly 2100 households — estimated 13,000 clients.
In Syria, we are running two mobile health clinics to support the health needs of earthquake survivors. We are reaching about 200 clients per day.
In Türkiye, we are continuing to work closely with local partners to support and scale up their response, and to assist them with vital large scale procurement of necessary goods like pharmaceuticals and provide essential health services.

Here is my promise to you, John: We will be here for as long as we are needed, providing families with whatever they need to survive, recover and rebuild their lives.

Thank you for being on our team at this critical time. Your generosity is inspiring our team on the ground and to the families we're supporting.

Until next time,

— Elias

Elias Abu Ata
Regional Senior Communications and Media Manager
International Rescue Committee

P.S. Families in Syria and Türkiye have a long, hard road ahead of them. Can you rush an emergency donation to help us provide them with the support they need? Here's your personalized link: https://help.rescue.org/donate/syria-earthquake

Sent from my iPhone. Please excuse any typos.

My colleague and I assessing the damage in Gaziantep, Türkiye (I'm on the left!)

One of my IRC colleagues providing essential health services in Northwest Syria

My IRC teammates assessing damage in Northwest Syria

One of my IRC colleagues distributing supplies in Northwest Syria

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