After the devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake on March 6, Syria and Türkiye continue to be rocked by damaging aftershocks. This is the deadliest earthquake in the past decade, which has killed more than 50,000 people. The United Nations estimates up to 15 million people have been affected, including 1.7 million Syrian refugees who were already displaced from years of war.
During a visit to an affected region in southern Türkiye, UN World Food Programme Executive Director David Beasley said, “There is only one way to describe what I saw today: apocalyptic. Entire neighbourhoods have been flattened, homes destroyed, schools and shops closed, lives torn apart. The scale of devastation here is truly incomprehensible.”
How you can help
There is an urgent need for humanitarian intervention. Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA is not providing direct relief on the ground but we are encouraging our supporters to donate to organisations that are responding. The Australian Council for International Development has launched a consolidated appeal to help provide shelter, transportation, healthcare and food.