ActionAid is responding to the aftermath of the Turkey-Syria earthquake by providing medical support through mobile health units in northwest Syria.
It’s reported that around 12,000 people in northwest Syria and around 80,000 people in Turkey have been injured by the quake, with the death toll standing at 41,000.
Commenting on the urgent need for medical aid for survivors, Racha Nasreddine, Regional Director of ActionAid Arab Region, said: “In the first 24 hours after the earthquake, our partner was the only organization working alongside the White Helmets to rescue survivors. Using mobile health units, we were able to provide critical care in those crucial hours and, as a result, saved many lives.
“The situation now is that a number of hospitals have been destroyed by the earthquake, and the ones still standing are struggling to cope with the number of people requiring urgent medical attention.
“We are continuing to provide immediate first aid to people injured by the disaster so as to ease the pressure faced by hospitals. Trained staff is also providing emotional support to those experiencing trauma.”
ENDS
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Notes to editor
Spokespeople available:
Racha Nasreddine is the Director for ActionAid in the Arab Region covering Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Tunisia. Previously, she led the response to the Syrian crisis in 2015 in neighboring countries (Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Egypt) and within the diaspora. She has local and international experience working across multiple sectors and countries in the Middle East and North Africa region on socioeconomic development, human rights, and cultural relations. Racha speaks Arabic and English- Currently in Jordan.
Razmi Farook is the Regional Director for Asia and Humanitarian at ActionAid. Razmi has served in the humanitarian and development sector for 20 years, working extensively on the regional and country level in the areas of disaster management, resilience, climate change, the Syria crisis, the Indian Ocean tsunami, and on issues related to migrants, refugees, and women. Razmi speaks English – Currently in Arusha, Tanzania.
Sabine Abi Aad is the Regional Communication and Campaigns Lead for ActionAid Arab Region. She has more than 20 years of experience in communication and, advocacy, project management. She is passionate about women and youth leadership, achieving social justice and gender equality. Sabine speaks Arabic and English- Based in Beirut, Lebanon.
About ActionAid
ActionAid is a global federation that works with more than 15 million people living in more than 40 of the world’s poorest countries. We want to see a just and sustainable world in which everyone enjoys the right to a dignified life and freedom from poverty and oppression. We work for social justice and gender equality, and poverty eradication.
