Hanah and her young family live in an abandoned church building in Syria. What was supposed to be temporary shelter after their house was damaged has become home for the past eight years.
Making ends meet has never been easy due to economic crisis and ongoing conflict. But when deadly earthquakes hit Syria and Türkiye on Feb 6, 2023, Hanah’s situation worsened. Work was impossible to find, and she struggled to access food, household items and medicine for her family.
Thankfully, Hanah heard about our Partner’s work with the local church from other struggling families, and asked for help. Church members visited the family, and have been providing food and hygiene boxes for the past nine months, along with clothes and blankets for winter.
This assistance has been a lifeline for us, we feel safe and comfortable at least having food on the table no matter what.
‘Even the cleaning supplies basket brings me great joy.’ Hanah said.
Life-saving Assistance, Thanks To Your Support
When earthquakes devastated communities in Syria and Türkiye last year, supporters like you were eager to help impacted families with donations towards our Turkiye & Syria Earthquake appeal.
Since the disaster, millions of people have been struggling with injuries, displacement, loss of livelihoods, poverty, and mental trauma. But our Partners have been able to assist over 80,000 people so far, helping people in Syria and Türkiye meet their needs, maintain their dignity, and have hope for the future.
Here are some of the practical ways supporters like you have made a difference:
- 6,601 households have received emergency food baskets, and 6,374 households have received emergency hygiene kits
- 20,718 people have received winter essentials such as blankets, boots, jackets and children’s clothes, so families could stay warm this past winter
- 11,379 people have accessed cash assistance to provide support after losing their income.
Photo credit: Merath
Where possible, our Partner visited families to distribute food baskets and hygiene kits so that elderly people, those with limited mobility, and those who live remotely didn’t miss out. Receiving these items meant that families on a limited income could use their savings for other needs, such as medicine and healthcare services.
Mental Health Support
With your support, our Partner also provided mental health support in Türkiye, so that vulnerable people can process their trauma and develop resilience in the aftermath of the earthquake.
Overall, 10,799 children, women and men in Türkiye accessed mental health support services, and 19,531 took part in mental health awareness sessions run by our Partner. Staff members also took part in training workshops to develop their skills and improve their knowledge of best practice mental health care.
Children were able to access Child-Friendly Spaces—a safe place where children and youth can access support, meet together and take part in activities (for example, therapeutic art programs) designed to help them recovery express their emotions.
Group sessions brought people who experienced similar psychological challenges together, so they could support each other. Our Partner’s program prioritised women and girls, as many of them were traditionally expected to stay at home, and had less contact with the wider community. One participant, a refugee from Syria, expressed her gratitude for the support she received. ‘I learned to express my pain with the staff,’ she said.
We talk and I feel so supported, this helps so much. Now I invite people in my tent for a coffee to share my story.
A Partner staff member reflected, ‘This work has been so important, and we have had excellent feedback from communities. We are really proud of what we have been able to achieve with the support of organisations including Baptist World Aid. Thank you! It has been so impactful.’
The Ongoing Need
Today, families are still living with the impact of the earthquake as they struggle to recover. The devastating event, along with other ongoing crises in the region, has led to widespread displacement, damaged infrastructure, and a strain on social services.
Many families lost their main breadwinner, and are unable to meet their needs. It’s estimated that 12.9 million people in Syria require food assistance (an increase from 12.1 million in 2023) while in Türkiye, 2.5 million children need humanitarian support and are at risk of falling into poverty, child labour or child marriage.
Despite everything Hanah and her family have been through, she still holds firm to her faith in God, and is thankful for supporters like you. Her hope is to become self-reliant, and to provide a decent life for her children.
‘Despite all the poverty and unhappiness, you have planted hope in our souls, and thanks to you we can continue. Every time I come back carrying the basket, I see happiness and reassurance in my children’s eyes.’ Hanah said.
‘The belief that God is with us, despite all the harsh circumstances, has been our main inspiration. I always feel that God places good people in our path to help us unconditionally.’
Please join us in praying for those impacted:
• That God would provide food and other necessities through the generosity of his people around the world.
• For the safety and health of families living in displacement camps
• That families who are vulnerable would be able to cope with the added toll of the economic crisis and conflict in Syria.
• That children would be able to recover, receive emotional support, and have a safe space where they can build their resilience.
