06 February 2023
Hundreds of people are dead, thousands more injured and the human toll is rising by the hour after the devastating earthquake in south-eastern Turkey and northern Syria. The Turkish and Syrian Red Crescent Societies immediately mobilized to help the victims.
The epicentre of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake was located in Gaziantep, a Turkish city close to the border with Syria that is one of the main entry and reception points for refugees fleeing the war in Syria. In Syria, cities such as Aleppo, which was just recovering from years of fighting and destruction, have been hit hardest.
The Luxembourg Red Cross is appealing for donations to support its sister national societies in Turkey and Syria in helping the victims of this terrible natural disaster. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, based in Geneva, is in close contact with the two organisations concerned to assess the mobilisation of the Emergency Response Unit, in which Luxembourg volunteers could be deployed.
Luc Scheer, Member of the Executive Committee at the Luxembourg Red Cross, said: “The winter temperatures in the region are making the situation of the victims even worse. While we need to move quickly to find and save those buried under the rubble, it is also essential to provide assistance to the tens of thousands of people who have lost everything and are homeless. In Gaziantep, the temperature is expected to drop to -6°C next night. Our Turkish and Syrian colleagues and the other organisations deployed on the ground are facing an extreme emergency, let’s support them!“
The Luxembourg Red Cross is calling for donations by transfer to the account CCP LU52 1111 0000 1111 0000 with the communication “Earthquake Turkey/Syria” or by clicking below.