TÜRKIYE EARTHQUAKE APPEAL

A series of devastating earthquakes have hit southern Türkiye and north-west Syria killing over 55,700 people and leaving over 110,000 injured. Individuals have been left without shelter in harsh winter conditions presenting with it additional challenges to survivors.

The impact of the earthquakes on the region’s women and children has been catastrophic, leaving hundreds of thousands living in desperate conditions.

As Imece Women’s Centre, we have now launched an appeal to support women and children who are feeling the aftershocks of these terrifying earthquakes.

Women and girls suffer disproportionately in the aftermath of disasters such as this. When tens of thousands of them have lost their homes, families, livelihoods and loved ones they are left with the responsibility to work in makeshift tents, try to find food and cook, try to wash and clean where there is clean water available.

It is women who tend to the sick, line up for aid, organise the cramped living areas. They are also left with the obligation for taking care of the survived extended families.

Due to the existing inequalities and gender roles, women and girls are affected differently by the earthquake and require targeted support in line with their needs.

There are 356,000 pregnant women across the earthquake-affected areas. 36,000 of these women are expected to deliver in the coming weeks. Some of them under severe stress, living in tents in harsh conditions carrying with them the potential risks and difficulties for pregnancy/childbirth.

The lack of toilets, cleaning facilities and sanitary products are major sources of distress, bringing with it the risk of infection and poor health conditions as a result.

Children especially girls and women from poorest families in the disaster zone are most at risk of exploitation and abuse. Girls and children known to be saved under the rubble, are now being reported missing.

Turkey has one of the highest rates of child marriage in Europe. As the disaster has destroyed many schools and disruption in education, high numbers of girls are being pulled out of school and left with the option or forced into getting married for survival.

A large number of women were found under the rubble in their children’s rooms, their final missions before their tragic end to save their children and babies as the tremors from the earthquake were felt.

As Imece Women’s Centre with your help we would like to ensure that we reach out to the women organisations that are working on the field, to scale up their responses, provide vital aid so we can support the women and children who have survived the earthquake to begin to build their lives, to survive the aftershocks that continues to rumble.

Together, with solidarity and sisterhood we could be there for them to remove and lift the wreckage left behind by this disaster.

Please contribute to our campaign, share it with colleagues, professional contacts, friends and family.
Please DONATE TO HELP.