World Vision New Zealand Launches Appeal To Help Those Affected By Türkiye-Syria 'quake
World Vision New Zealand has launched an appeal to provide urgent supplies to children and families as the toll of the devastating Türkiye-Syria earthquake continues to mount.
Teams on the ground are assessing
the escalating needs and providing emergency aid following
the 7.8 magnitude quake which has killed thousands, with
many more thousands injured.
The World Health Organisation has warned that the death toll may rise to more than 20,000.
World Vision New Zealand National
Director Grant Bayldon says the full scale of the emergency
is only just becoming clear and people affected desperately
need help.
“Catastrophic does not
fully encompass what is happening in Syria and Türkiye
right now. Thousands are dead, thousands are trapped in the
rubble, mums, dads, children. They have lost family members
and their homes. They have been left with
nothing.”
The earthquake has hit families
who were already displaced in a region shattered by more
than a decade of civil war.
“People are
again fleeing for their lives and are desperate for shelter
from the cold,” Bayldon says. “We are seeing families
desperately trying to find a place to go. They are living in
cars, mosques are full. These are families already displaced
by a civil war who are now homeless
again.”
World Vision teams are
assessing the impact and starting to deliver emergency aid
to those worst affected.
Bayldon says
World Vision is well-positioned to help having worked in the
region since the civil war erupted in Syria in 2011. The
humanitarian organisation has responded to numerous major
earthquakes around the globe and has a team of experts
trained and ready to deliver urgent
assistance.
“World Vision has done this before – and we know what to do. Thankfully, we already have teams and partner organisations in Turkiye and Syria so we're able to respond swiftly. We’re scaling up our operations to provide shelter, heat sources and food to those left with nothing.”
World Vision’s
immediate areas of response will cover Gaziantep and
Sanliurfa in Turkiye, as well as Azaz, Afrin and Idlib, in
Northern Syria.
Bayldon says World Vision is calling on New Zealanders to once again show their compassion and generosity.
“We know that New
Zealanders understand the devastation an earthquake can
bring. We’ve had our own experiences right here at
home.
“There is going to be an overwhelming need
for food, shelter, heating, medical care and water in the
coming days and weeks in Turkiye and Syria. The generosity
and compassion from Kiwis will help provide this emergency
aid and support long-term recovery for families who have
lost everything,” he says.
To donate to
the appeal and help provide urgent supplies to children and
families impacted by the earthquake, go to www.worldvision.org.nz
or text RESPOND to
5055.