Türkiye Syria Earthquakes Appeal

New Zealand Red Cross has launched the Türkiye Syria Earthquakes Appeal to help deliver urgently needed relief to communities impacted by the recent devastating earthquakes.

Thousands of people in north west Syria and south east Turkey have lost their lives, and 
thousands more have been injured and displaced after two large earthquakes and many urred on Monday morning.

The earthquakes have affected an area of around 400 kilometres, including large, heavily
populated cities. Around 12 million people, including around two million already displaced
people, live in the affected areas. In Syria, the earthquakes have impacted communities who have already endured almost 12 years of war.

National societies from across the International Red Cross Movement are working together to coordinate support and assistance. Local Red Crescent teams, Kizilay (Turkish Red Crescent) and Syrian Arab Red Crescent are helping agencies with search and rescue, food, first aid and psychological first aid, and distributing emergency relief items. The Movement has requested National Societies, including New Zealand Red Cross, to consider sending specialists to support the response.

The International Red Cross Movement also provides the Restoring Family Links service. Families living in other countries who have lost touch with loved ones in the region, can contact their local National Red Cross or Red Crescent society for support in restoring contact, wherever possible.

The situation for those affected is desperate, and urgent needs are continuing to grow by the minute. Widespread damage to buildings, hospitals and roads, and harsh winter weather, are making response and recovery efforts even more difficult, and further limiting people’s access to life-saving help.

How New Zealand Red Cross is responding:

• We have launched the Türkiye Syria Earthquakes Appeal. One hundred percent of the funds raised in this appeal will be used to aid the response and recovery efforts of local Red Cross and Red Crescent teams who are providing urgently needed support to the people of Türkiye and Syria, impacted by this disaster.
• Please donate through our website Türkiye Syria Earthquakes Appeal | New Zealand Red Cross or call 0800 RED CROSS (0800 733 27677)
• We are working with the International Red Cross Movement to understand what type of
specialists are most needed on the ground and then will look to send appropriate International Delegates from New Zealand to the region will assist in the response and recovery efforts.
• Our Restoring Family Links team is on standby to receive enquiries from people living in
Aotearoa New Zealand who have lost contact with loved ones due to the disaster. Find missing family overseas - form | New Zealand Red Cross.

Notes for Editors

Spokesperson: For media interviews, we can offer Viv Euini, Director of International Operations, (Emergency Management and International), New Zealand Red Cross.

Viv is Auckland based and leads New Zealand Red Cross’ global response to disasters and conflict in coordination with the International Red Cross Movement. She has a team of experts with wide ranging knowledge and skills who are deployed to support these types of response. The delegates are also used to build capacity to other national societies, increasing their resilience and preparedness.

Viv has a background in leadership, finance and mental health and began her career within the Red Cross Movement as an international delegate.

Please get in touch media.comms@redcross.org.nz or call 04 495 0139 to arrange an interview.

Photos, Video and B-roll: We can provide access to Red Cross images and video, on request.

Support to contact our International Red Cross Movement partners: We can help media to connect with our partners internationally and on the ground in Türkiye and Syria.

Donations: Can be made online, over the phone or in our shops, more information is available at Türkiye Syria Earthquakes Appeal | New Zealand Red Cross

International delegate programme: Our international delegates are skilled Kiwis who work overseas to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity on the front line in conflict zones and in other crises. We have a team of more than 100 technical experts ‘on call’ in our International Delegate Programme ready to be sent to assist in crisis areas. They are highly trained in emergency response and include professionals such as engineers, nurses and IT specialists.
https://www.redcross.org.nz/about-us/what-we-do/what-we-do-overseas/international-delegate-programme/

About the Red Cross movement - The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is dedicated to preventing and alleviating human suffering due to conflict, and in emergencies such as epidemics, floods and earthquakes. Red Cross is not a single organisation, but is made up of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the 192 individual National Societies, including New Zealand Red Cross. Each has its own legal identity and role.

With a network of more than 80 million people, we’re the largest humanitarian organisation in the world. More about the movement https://www.redcross.org.nz/about-us/who-we-are/the-international-red-cross-movement/

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