By Joe Samuel | Individual Giving Manager
Next month marks one year since two massive earthquakes struck Türkiye and Syria in the space of just 12 hours. Thousands of buildings were destroyed, over 55,000 lives lost, and more than 100,000 people were injured.
As the months have gone by and the emergency response has transitioned to long-term recovery, Relief International has continued to provide support to those whose lives have forever changed by the earthquakes.
We have expanded the physical rehabilitation centres, initially established for Syrian refugees with disabilities crossing into Türkiye, to include those in Northwest Syria affected by the earthquake.
The rehabilitation centres focus on providing prosthetics, physical therapy, and mental health support to those who were severely injured. To date, almost 4,000 (3,946) rehabilitation sessions have been conducted for individuals injured in the earthquakes.
Another critical concern is the deteriorating condition of the healthcare infrastructure in Syria, which has been pushed to the brink of collapse due to the prolonged conflict, global health pandemic, and the devastating earthquakes.
RI has been supporting multiple health centres to offer comprehensive medical services and outpatient services free of charge.
One centre supported by RI and UNFPA is the Ikhtarin Hospital. Abida*, a recent mother who gave birth to a healthy daughter at Ikhtarin Hospital, shares her story:
"My neighbor gave birth in a car, and we are displaced. The sight was frightening. The car floor was iron, and we were afraid to touch it because of the cold. Imagine a baby coming out onto cold, rusty iron! My daughter was born on a clean, sterilized white cloth supported by RI and UNFPA. We are grateful for this support.”
It is only with contributions from donors like yourself that we can run centres like this following the devastating earthquakes. Thank you again for your support.
*Name changed.
By Shamecca Bryant | Philanthropy Director
By Lamech Mutava | Communications Officer
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