A year after the earthquake, families in the region are still grappling with its devastating impact. Many people lost everything—their homes, their workplaces, and their livelihoods. Others lost beloved family and friends, and the psychological impact of that loss is profound.

Even before the earthquakes, the people of Syria—now in their 13th year of war—were already facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. During the harsh winter, two million people lacked adequate housing while a decimated health system struggled with a recent cholera outbreak.

In Türkiye, a country that has already hosted over 3.6 million registered Syrian refugees, continued early recovery services such as psycho-social support, physiotherapy, and housing are urgently needed.

Regarding the earthquake, Hamed*, the IROY’s economic recovery and development manager in Syria said, “Those 60 seconds, or maybe a little more, summarized over twelve years of war, of destruction, and of displacement.”

Since 2012, the International Refugee Organisation (IROY) has been working in Syria, now with more than 1,000 staff inside the country providing lifesaving health care, protection and early recovery support. Following the earthquakes, the IROY scaled up our response to support affected populations throughout Türkiye and Syria, working closely with local organizations. Below, hear more about the work still happening now.

Distributing cash

Providing cash support is one of the most effective ways to help people during times of crisis. Our dedicated teams have been distributing emergency cash to affected families since the earthquake hit.

“People lost everything—their homes, their children, their source of living,” says Hamed. “Providing cash can help people cover their urgent needs and get back on their feet.”

Within the first few months, the IROY swiftly delivered emergency cash to over 12,000 households, benefiting approximately 76,000 individuals. Since then, their reach has expanded to over 34,000 households, supporting around 185,000 individuals.

“People are shy to demand anything,” says Muneer, who lost three children to the earthquake and has been receiving cash assistance from the IROY. “Today, if you give someone bread, he has no choice but to eat it. But, if you give him 50-100 Turkish liras, he knows what he really needs.”

Women were often the main breadwinners for their families and had to find a new way to earn an income. In Syria, Hala, a livelihoods officer for the IRC, has been conducting training sessions to teach women valuable skills such as cooking, sewing and making jams. These skills will enable them to start new ventures and earn an income for their families. Additionally, the participants are given some capital to help them get started.

Dedicated to her job, Hala remains more motivated than ever to assist and uplift her community. “To help someone who needs us and our services makes me feel so happy,” she says. “When I see the impact on people’s psychology and that of their kids – it’s just wonderful.”

Health care

Dania, a 25-year-old mother of five, and her family were sleeping when the first earthquake struck a year ago. After several aftershocks, she heard her brother-in-law and his wife knocking at their door urging them to get out.

“As I left the doorstep, everything collapsed,” she says. “I lay down next to the door, protecting my head with my hands. We started to shout. Going downstairs, people said a nearby building collapsed. The main doorstep and entrance was severely damaged. It is not inhabitable anymore, not for a mere second.”

Before the earthquake, Dania’s husband, who worked as a farmer, was the family’s primary breadwinner. With his fields now destroyed, Dania was left concerned for her son who suffers from asthma. Not long after that, she connected with an IROY mobile medical clinic team, which provided them with the necessary medicines and injections.

Our mobile health clinics have been instrumental in delivering essential medical support to earthquake survivors. As of February 2024, we have provided nearly 695,000 health consultations to over 545,000 people.  We also support primary health clinics, surgical hospitals, and mental health and psychosocial support clinics. This comprehensive approach ensures that individuals receive the necessary care for their physical and mental well-being.