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On February 6, 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck central-southern Türkiye near the border with Syria, leading to fatalities, injuries, and damage to infrastructure. USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, along with U.S. government partners, has rapidly scaled up humanitarian assistance to reach tens of thousands of people in affected communities by providing new funding, giving partners flexibility to pivot existing programs, and engaging the private sector.
Scaling Up Humanitarian Programs
To date, USAID has provided $50 million in new funding1 to meet urgent humanitarian needs in northern Syria. Here are some ways this assistance is saving lives.
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USAID has provided $15 million to the UN’s Syria Cross-border Humanitarian Pooled Fund (SCHF) to enable local partners to rapidly respond to multi-sectoral needs.
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$5 million to the White Helmets in northern Syria will provide fuel and search-and-rescue equipment for first responders and support primary and emergency health care services, as well as ambulance networks.
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With $7.5 million in support to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), USAID is providing life-saving shelter support, water, sanitation, and hygiene services, essential winter supplies, and psychosocial support services.
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$10 million from USAID is enabling the UN World Food Program (WFP) to deliver food assistance to vulnerable populations in northwest Syria and Syrian Arab Republic Government-held areas. The UN organization has reached more than 156,200 people with hot meals and ready-to-eat rations and hot meals and 480,000 people in northwestern Syria with regular food rations and cash transfers.
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USAID is allocating $12.5 million to other UN and non-governmental organization (NGO) partners to provide emergency assistance including health, protection, food, water, sanitation, hygiene, and multi-purpose cash assistance to earthquakeaffected communities.