Middle East Crisis Response
On February 6, two powerful earthquakes hit Turkey and significantly impacted neighboring Syria. The first was a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in south central Turkey, followed hours later by a magnitude 7.5 quake in the southeastern part of the country. The two quakes have devastated Turkey and Syria, collapsing thousands of buildings and damaging infrastructure. Thousands of people have been killed, thousands more have been injured, yet search-and-rescue efforts are only in the early stages. A cold and snowy weather system now moving through the region complicates response efforts.
Lutheran Disaster Response is committed to supporting ACT Alliance and other partners in responding to these earthquakes. Mere hours after the earthquakes hit, ACT Alliance member organizations began distributing emergency supplies, including medicines, bedding and other relief items. A comprehensive response will be coordinated as the full extent of the impact becomes clearer.
Lutheran Disaster Response has been active in this region for several years, partnering with ACT Alliance, the Lutheran World Federation and the Middle East Council of Churches to accompany Syrian refugees and internally displaced people with food, water, shelter, health services and sanitation support. The epicenter of one earthquake lies near Turkish provinces that host hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, which will only exacerbate the refugee crisis in the region.
Your gifts designated for “Middle East Crisis” will be used entirely (100%) to provide long-lasting support for those whose lives have been impacted by disasters in the region.
This article first appeared at elca.org on March 1, 2022. Reprinted with permission. © ELCA.
