Turkey and Syria Disaster Relief - Christ Church At Grove Farm

Turkey and Syria hit by catastrophic earthquake

On February 6th, a 7.8 earthquake and multiple aftershocks hit Southern Turkey (officially the Republic of Türkiye) and Northern Syria – one of the strongest in the region in over 100 years. Sadly, the death toll has exceeded the tens of thousands and continues to rise hour by hour. This region is home to an already vulnerable population due to years of conflict which created massive ongoing needs before the earthquake. Now collapsed buildings and damaged roads have left hundreds of thousands displaced and stranded in the freezing temperatures; children are particularly vulnerable to family separation, exploitation, and abuse at this time.

World Vision is responding by providing life-saving support with access to temporary shelters, heaters, clean water, non-food items, and critically needed healthcare. We’re also providing care for vulnerable children separated from their families amid the turmoil.

Your gift can make a real difference for vulnerable children and families:

$100 – Can provide health clinic consultations for 10 people
$130 – Can provide two children access to a safe, warm play area with recreational equipment for one month
$210 – Can provide safe, clean water to one person for a year
$240 – Can provide heating for two people during the initial months following the earthquake
$260 – Can provide emergency shelter for two people for six months

Our hearts break for the children and families of Turkey and Syria affected by this disaster. Would you join us in supporting these urgent needs with life-saving support in the name of Jesus?

Please pray with us for God to bring comfort and hope to those hurting amid extreme loss, unrest and uncertainty. Thank you for your heart to love and be the hands and feet of Jesus during this dire time.

How can Christ Church at Grove Farm help people affected by the earthquake?

Give: Help people suffering from the 2023 Turkey and Syria earthquake.
Pray: Join us in praying for World Vision staff and responders as they continue to support families through this disaster.
Almighty Father, we ask for Your mercy on people hardest hit by this disaster. During these frantic hours, please guide the search and rescue teams with Your protection and courage. Comfort the families that have lost loved ones, and keep children and adults warm as the bitterness of winter is now heaped upon this catastrophe. Give them patience, peace, and hope that they will emerge from this disaster and livelihoods will be restored.
Share: Spread the word to help increase visibility and multiply our prayers and efforts.

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Giving by Mail

If you would like to mail in a gift towards the response, checks can be mailed to the address below. Please include a note with the following "W10002882 - Turkey and Syria Emergency Response" and "CSSC - 400072679" for the World Vision staff. We truly appreciate your your gift and willingness to help those in urgent need.

World Vision
PO Box 78481
Tacoma, WA 98481

Fast Facts

On February 6, 2023, at 4:17 a.m. local time, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake rocked southeast Turkey near the Syrian border.
The initial quake struck at a depth of 11 miles (17.9 km) near Nurdağı in Gaziantep province.
Since the first quake, aftershocks numbering in the thousands have rumbled across the region, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The World Health Organization says that 26 million people need assistance across both countries.
On February 20, 2023, at 8:04 p.m. local time, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Hatay province in southern Turkey.
Even before this disaster, more than 6.5 million children in Syria needed humanitarian aid due to the ongoing conflict.
According to United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), there are 4.6 million children in the earthquake-affected areas of Turkey, with more than 2.5 million children affected in Syria.

What risks do children face in the aftermath of the earthquake?

Hundreds of thousands of children and their families are homeless in the wake of the earthquake. Snow and bitter winter weather have placed children at great risk of hypothermia as they struggle to survive in sub-zero temperatures. Many survivors have had to sleep in cars, outside, or in makeshift shelters. Doctors have warned that children are also at risk of exposure to waterborne diseases such as cholera or Hepatitis A due to the damage to shelters and water infrastructure.

These children are now even more vulnerable to family separation, exploitation, and abuse. As buildings are deemed unsafe, they also are unable to return to school.

“In northern Syria, in particular, the threats to children from abuse were already extreme. The soaring poverty, within a warzone, now devastated by earthquakes, has created an unimaginable number of challenges, and suffering for children,” says Johan Mooij, World Vision’s response director for the Syria crisis. “This earthquake has created the perfect environment for a health crisis — fueled by reduced healthcare capacity and disease outbreaks.

“Humanitarian needs were already extremely severe in northwest Syria, and this catastrophic earthquake has added trauma to ongoing crisis there,” he adds. “Health facilities were already badly equipped and unable to cope with need, but now many have been destroyed. Families are trying to survive with no homes, no access to food, in sub-zero temperatures whilst also attempting to deal with the physical and mental impact of this earthquake.”

How is World Vision responding to the Turkey and Syria earthquake?

World Vision has been distributing fuel and heat to shelters in northwest Syria in response to cold and sub-zero temperatures. Initial assessments from our partners showed a critical need for fuel to restore heating and electricity to medical facilities and emergency shelters.

Our priorities include helping support affected people with access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), healthcare, shelter, and care for vulnerable children. Our immediate response areas will cover Azaz, Afrin, and Idlib in northern Syria, as well as Gaziantep and Sanliurfa in Turkey.

How long has World Vision worked in the Middle East?

World Vision has been working in the Middle East region for nearly 40 years. We’re dedicated to improving the lives of children, families, and the communities where they live through long-term sustainable development as well as responding to disasters — both natural and man-made.

World Vision quickly came alongside Syrian families who fled to Lebanon in 2011. Since then, our work has expanded to other countries hosting Syrian refugees and into Syria. Children and their long-term needs are always our first priority.

In Syria, we reached more than 680,600 people in 2022 with life-saving aid through our health, care for vulnerable children, education, nutrition, and WASH programming.

World Vision provides aid to children and families in Syria, Jordan, and Turkey, all of whom have suffered from ongoing conflict and the resulting humanitarian crisis. Since the Syrian refugee crisis began, we’ve helped more than 7.5 million children and their families in the region.

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God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.
—Psalm 46:1-2 (NIV)

Our Commitment Your gift is a sacred trust. We promise to honor your generosity and use your donation in the most effective way possible. The gift options shown reflect World Vision projects and the suggested donation amounts are based on periodic surveys of the countries we serve. Each item is representative of the gift category in which it appears, and donations will be used to provide assistance within that gift category where it is needed most. When you give any animal gift, a portion of the gift may also help provide watering sources, farming assistance, hunger relief, and other related essentials as needed.