Belgian Minister of Development Cooperation Caroline Gennez announces €5 million in emergency aid for affected areas in Türkiye and Syria after earthquake

The announcement comes after the devastating earthquake in Türkiye and Syria, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people.

Specifically, €4 million will go to the UN cross-border fund for Syria, a lifeline for those in need in the conflict zone. An additional €1 million will also go to the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), a fund that supports local Red Cross chapters following natural and climatic disasters. Belgium's planned contribution is being increased to €3.5 million in response to the disaster and humanitarian needs. Both funds support local relief organizations and NGOs, who know the language and the affected areas well, and are therefore best placed to provide help as quickly and efficiently as possible.

"The devastating images from Türkiye and Syria leave no one unmoved. Thousands of dead, tens of thousands injured, homes, hospitals, and schools in ruins. Families are forced to spend the night outdoors while the temperature plummets below zero and snow is falling. The humanitarian needs are enormous. We must show solidarity with the people of Türkiye and Syria, and provide aid quickly," said Minister Gennez. 

The Turkish Red Crescent, one of the organisations supported by DREF, has already mobilised more than 2,000 volunteers. They distribute hot meals to survivors and other aid workers and provide psychological support to the victims. Red Crescent staff are also hard at work in Syria, administering first aid. They have very little to work with:

"The situation in northwest Syria was already incredibly difficult before the earthquake. People there have little to nothing: no infrastructure, hardly any access to electricity or clean water, food shortages," explains Minister Gennez. "But this disaster threatens to turn a very difficult situation into a desperate one. We cannot leave the Syrian people behind."

Since the start of the Syrian civil war, Belgium has sent humanitarian aid to help the Syrian population. But getting it to the people in the conflict zone has proven to be complicated due to the blockades of the Assad regime. Just before the earthquake, there were already 4.1 million people dependent on humanitarian assistance in the region. The UN cross-border aid is therefore a lifeline for people in the whole region. The Belgian contribution of €4 million to the cross-border fund is especially important for the many local NGOs and aid organizations operating there, who continue to provide aid despite the very harsh conditions.

In doing so, Belgium is also responding to a request from EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič. In a conversation with Minister Gennez earlier this week, he stressed the importance of European coordination and asked Belgium to strengthen its humanitarian engagement in Syria based on the additional needs in the war zone around Aleppo and Idlib. Alongside German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Minister Gennez is calling to open the Turkish-Syrian border further to allow life-saving aid to reach the affected area and victims in Syria.

"What is going on now in Türkiye and Syria is a human tragedy of terrible proportions. Geopolitical conflicts should not stand in the way of helping people," Minister Gennez added.

Besides the additional contributions to DREF and the UN cross-border fund for Syria, Belgian humanitarian aid also supports several international and humanitarian organizations that are already present and active in both Türkiye and Syria. These are OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross), UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency), UNWRA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees), and WFP (World Food Programme). Partner organizations of the Belgian NGO 11.11.11, such as Olive Branch, Basmeh & Zeitooneh, and Women Now, are also present and active in the region.

Finally, Belgium is also a major donor to the UN Emergency Response Fund (CERF). That fund allows for a rapid response in crisis situations. That way, many life-saving resources can be sent in quickly after disasters, such as the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria. In 2023, Belgium will contribute €17 million to the fund. Yesterday, CERF announced that it will release $25 million to support rescue and aid efforts in the affected areas.