A month after the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, more than 850,000 children are still displaced after being driven from their damaged or destroyed homes. This is reported by the UN organization UNICEF on Monday.
In addition, the death toll from the earthquakes and aftershocks has risen to more than 50,000 people.
In Turkey alone, more than 1.9 million people live in temporary shelters with limited access to essential clean water, sanitation and medical services. In addition, 2.5 million children in the country are in urgent need of humanitarian aid.
“Families displaced from their homes by the earthquakes have focused on survival for the past four weeks, putting their lives on hold as the aftershocks continue,” said Philippe Henon, UNICEF Belgium spokesperson. “Now, we must do everything possible to help the families rebuild their lives. An important point of attention here is the provision of psychosocial assistance to children.”
In Syria, it is estimated that more than 500,000 people have been displaced from their homes by the earthquakes. Even before the earthquakes, Syria had the highest number of internally displaced people globally, with 6.8 million displaced people – including nearly 3 million children. More than 3.7 million children have been affected by the quakes across Syria.
“Even before this disaster, the humanitarian need among children in Syria was greater than ever,” said Adele Khodr, UNICEF regional director for the Middle East and North Africa. “As we approach 12 long years of conflict, millions of families live on the brink of disaster and feel the world has forgotten them. We must support these families long-term and help them get back on track with their lives.”
UNICEF has reached nearly half a million people with life-saving water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services and supplies, including clean water, cleaning septic tanks and providing hygiene kits for families and other life-saving supplies across Syria.
In Turkey, UNICEF asks for $196 million to reach 3 million people, including 1.5 million children. In Syria, UNICEF needs $172.7 million to provide immediate life-saving assistance to 5.4 million people (including 2.6 million children) affected by the earthquake.