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European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations
News article17 February 2023Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO)

Earthquake: disaster response operations in Syria and Türkiye continue

Romanian planes with new EU assistance arriving in Gaziantep, Türkiye
Further EU assistance arriving to Gaziantep, Türkiye from where the International Organization for Migration will transport to Northwest Syria
© European Union, 2023 (photographer: Lisa Hastert)

In the aftermath of the earthquakes that rocked both Syria and Türkiye, the humanitarian needs on the ground continue to increase. The EU has been responding to the disaster since day one and is now scaling up its assistance to the people affected.

Türkiye

18 EU Member States (Austria, Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Greece, Spain, Finland, France, Croatia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia and Slovakia) have offered millions of items, including shelter equipment, heaters, generators, furniture, medical equipment, hygiene kits, food and warm clothing.

In addition, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and Albania deployed medical teams while the Netherlands has offered a medical evacuation plane. This assistance is coordinated via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

2,000 tents and 8,000 beds mobilised via the rescEU reserve hosted by Romania have arrived in the country, while 500 relief housing units equipped with 2,500 beds are on its way from the stockpile hosted by Sweden.

In total, €5.5 million of EU humanitarian aid has been allocated to respond to the immediate needs. This includes €3.2 million newly allocated funds, and more than €2.3 million redirected funds from ongoing humanitarian projects.

Syria

The first flight from the EU's humanitarian stockpile in Dubai is landing today in Adana, from where it will be delivered to non-government controlled Northwest Syria by the EU's humanitarian partner International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

It is one of the three flights organised via the European Humanitarian Response Capacity delivering winterised tents, heaters, kitchen sets, hygiene kits and more to people affected by the earthquake. The next two flights are arriving next week and are coordinated with Ireland.

12 European countries (Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Romania, Slovenia, and Norway) have offered in-kind assistance to Syrian people via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The aid is being channelled via hubs in Beirut and Gaziantep where EU civil protection experts help coordinate the incoming donations.

Several planes from Romania have already arrived in Beirut and Gaziantep, and the first deliveries to Syria have already taken place. Shelter items from Bulgaria and medicines from Cyprus have also arrived in Beirut. Today, a ship from Italy is also arriving in Beirut to deliver large family tents.

Since the disaster hit Syria, the EU has mobilised €10 million of humanitarian aid to offer rapid relief to earthquake victims. This includes €3.7 million newly allocated funds, and more than €6 million redirected funds from ongoing humanitarian projects.