Air raids after the quake
Welthungerhilfe calls for help for Syrians
03/20/2023 08:02
Twelve years of civil war and then the devastating earthquake: The people in Syria are at the end of their strength, as Welthungerhilfe laments. The attacks in the north-west are apparently continuing unabated. “People who have lost everything must also seek protection from air raids,” it says.
Welthungerhilfe has asked the international donor conference for the victims of the earthquake in Syria and Turkey to provide long-term and sustainable support for the people affected. The donor conference in Brussels must “send a strong signal and bring long-term support so that we can finally end this ongoing humanitarian crisis for the people,” said Mathias Mogge, Secretary General of Welthungerhilfe. The meeting is organized by the European Union in coordination with the United Nations. Sweden, which currently chairs the EU Council of Ministers, is hoping for the highest possible financial commitments to help the victims of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
According to the authorities, more than 50,000 people died in the tremors on February 6, with a magnitude of up to 7.8. Hundreds of thousands are still homeless in the two countries. So far, Germany has provided 108 million euros for the affected region in the Turkish-Syrian border area.
Welthungerhilfe explained that new funds are urgently needed that could be used flexibly in order not only to alleviate the acute emergency but also to alleviate structural deficits and strengthen regional economic cycles. Long-term investments in reconstruction with the involvement of local actors are absolutely necessary for this.
15 million people need help
In particular, the severe earthquake worsened the catastrophic situation of millions of people in Syria, who had already lost their livelihoods as a result of the years of civil war. According to the UN, more than 15 million people in Syria are dependent on humanitarian aid.
Almost six weeks after the devastating earthquake, the need in Turkey and Syria is still high. While the support in Turkey reached many of those affected after a few days, the victims in Syria had to wait too long for help. At the same time, military attacks in north-west Syria continued unabated. “People who have lost everything must also seek protection from air raids,” Mogge denounced.
Welthungerhilfe employees reported from the region that “after twelve years of civil war the people are now at the end of their strength and feel forgotten by the world community”. They see no more hope or prospects.