International
Press Release – Earthquake in Türkiye and Syria: Malteser International sends emergency relief team
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 6, 2023
Earthquake in Türkiye and Syria: Malteser International sends Emergency relief team
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the border region between Syria and Türkiye early on Monday morning. Malteser International sends an emergency relief team to the region.
Cologne/Gaziantep. After the severe earthquake in Türkiye and Syria early on Monday morning, the Turkish government asked the international community for help. The quake was registered at a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale. More than 600 people were killed in both countries, according to official figures so far. The numbers are rising rapidly, however, and the damage to residential buildings and infrastructure is massive. Malteser International (MI) has sent an emergency relief team to the affected region.
“Our colleagues in Gaziantep and Kilis tell us about the massive destruction caused by the quake there. Thankfully, our team is unharmed. An MI emergency relief team has already been sent to the region. Our local partners are in urgent need of support, especially in the refugee areas in the north of Syria, where hundreds of thousands of people are living in simple shelters and are now defenseless after the earthquake. Temperatures in the region are currently freezing and it is raining extensively. In the hospitals of partner organizations, the number of injured earthquake victims is increasing by the hour. So we have to provide help quickly,” says Oliver Hochedez, head of Malteser International’s emergency relief department.
The emergency team is coordinating first immediate measures and will then get urgently needed relief supplies on their way for people in need.
Since 2012, Malteser International has been supporting health structures and water and sanitation in Syria through local partners, as well as providing care to Syrian refugees in Türkiye.
Malteser International Americas is an affiliate of Malteser International and is the worldwide relief and development organization of the Sovereign Order of Malta. The organization provides aid to people in need in around 140 projects in 35 countries, regardless of their religion, origin, or political convictions. Christian values and humanitarian principles form the basis of its work. Further information: www.orderofmaltarelief.org
Press Contact: Ilaria Ghelardoni, Communications and Marketing Manager (ilaria.ghelardoni@malteser-international.org)
