Syria Earthquake Appeal – Urgent Help for Those Left Furthest Behind

Date Posted:Thu, 9th Feb 2023

Sadly, the world has now witnessed the devastation caused by two earthquakes that struck southern Turkey and northern Syria on Monday. According to the World Health Organisation, over 17,000 people have now been killed, tens of thousands injured, and this cataclysmic event has impacted up to 23 million lives.

The lack of safe shelters, assembly points, and already strained essential services only adds to the urgency of the situation. Millions are now exposed to freezing winter temperatures, and those remaining under the rubble have hours to live if they are not found. The Crisis Response and Recovery Unit at Crown Agents are committed to working tirelessly to provide aid and support to those in need.

Syria has been ravaged by more than a decade of civil war, political instability and the myriad of crises that have flowed from the conflict. The earthquake impacted northwest Syria, where over 4.1 million people depend on humanitarian assistance, mainly women and children. In recent weeks, Syrian communities have been hit with an ongoing outbreak of cholera, heavy rain and snow over the weekend. Unlike Turkey, where rescue efforts are coordinated through government rescue teams, services in Syria are provided by non-governmental organisations and community volunteers.

Crown Agents is a not-for-profit organisation working in over 80 countries , reaching over 100 million people annually. With extensive experience in humanitarian relief operations and emergency response, we work in some of the world's most hard-to-reach and volatile contexts and prioritise people most in need. We respond at the very outset of an emergency - within as little as 48 - 72 hours - and remain engaged beyond the emergency, supporting countries to stabilise after trauma. In the last 12 months, for example, we delivered over three-quarters of a million items of humanitarian assistance into Ukraine and are now refitting over 50 healthcare centres to help get the healthcare system back up and running in the country.

Crown Agents have been at the forefront of humanitarian relief efforts since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011. We supported early recovery in the Deir-Elzour governorate in the aftermath of ISIS withdrawal. Through our work in Syria, we removed and recycled nearly 17,000 cubic metres of debris, rubble and solid waste from damaged public spaces. This included 96 schools with hazardous explosive remnants of war which has helped tens of thousands of children return to school.

We are focusing our humanitarian assistance in Syria, given our extensive networks, knowledge of the country, and the fact that much of the aid secured to date is going into Turkey. Our teams are working with long-term partners to assess the most pressing needs and deliver targeted emergency relief where it is needed the most. As an award-winning not-for-profit procurement and supply chain organisation, coupled with our in-house freight and forwarding company with a standby team and a warehouse in Mersin, we offer an unrivalled ability to swiftly procure and deliver life-saving medicine and supplies to families in dire need.

We know we can act fast to help save lives in Syria. Though we cannot do this alone and seek your help to respond with urgency. I am asking you to support The Crown Agents Syrian Earthquake Appeal with the aim of raising USD 5 Million by the end of March 2023.

Please contact Dana Amr, the Head of Gulf Partnerships at Crown Agents dana.amr@crownagents.co.uk for more information or alternatively, you can give directly via this link - Syria Earthquake Appeal - JustGiving

We are now focusing our humanitarian assistance, given our extensive networks, knowledge of the country, and the fact that much of the aid secured to date is going into Turkey.

Through our local partners and in coordination with the Civil Defence (White Helmets) we will work to deliver:

• Emergency Shelter and Heating

• Hot meals

• Hygiene kits and bedding units

• Warm clothing, blankets, and hot water bottles

• Medical trauma kits

• and other products and services as necessary

We know we can act fast to help save lives in Syria. Though we cannot do this alone and seek your help to respond with urgency. Any surplus funds generated by this response will be used to help fund CAIDs whole emergency response work.

The humanitarian response to the earthquake in northwest Syria is ongoing, and assessments, coordination, resources and support are needed to meet the needs of affected communities. I will provide updates as more information becomes available. I am on standby to answer your questions, drawing my responses directly from the head of our Crisis Response Unit, David Quinn.

I have attached a brochure demonstrating our history in humanitarian response and another of our responses in Lebanon as examples of our impact. I hope we can partner to deliver aid to terrified families inside Syria as soon as we are able.

Complete destruction of the Basinya complex, which includes more than 120 families, in the city of Salqin, in the countryside of Idlib, as a result of the earthquake.