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European Union

International Community Pledges £7 Billion in Aid to Support Turkey and Syria After Devastating Earthquakes

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The international community came together to mobilize support for the people of Turkey and Syria following the devastating earthquakes of February 2023. At the "Together for the people of Türkiye and Syria" International Donors' Conference, co-hosted by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, over 60 delegations from the European Union, its Member States, and partners pledged £7 billion in aid. The funds will be used to cover humanitarian needs, support early recovery and resilience, and help with the reconstruction of affected regions in both countries.

Key Takeaways:

  • The international community has pledged £7 billion in aid to support Turkey and Syria after the devastating earthquakes.
  • The funds will be used to cover humanitarian needs, support early recovery and resilience, and help with the reconstruction of affected regions in both countries.
  • Over 50% of the total pledge comes from Team Europe, with £3.6 billion contributed by the European Commission and EU Member States.
  • The funds for Turkey will be used to cover humanitarian needs and help with the reconstruction of the affected regions, with a focus on international standards for construction in seismic regions and the priorities of the Turkish Green Deal.
  • The funds for Syria will be used to help meet humanitarian needs and support early recovery and resilience.
  • The European Union has already mobilized support for the people in Turkey and Syria, with humanitarian partners on the ground providing shelter, water, sanitation, hygiene, and health services, as well as distributing food and in-kind assistance.
  • The EU Civil Protection Mechanism has been activated, with 1,750 rescuers and 111 search dogs deployed to Turkey, and six medical teams, including five field hospitals and a medical evacuation plane, also deployed to the country.
  • The European Humanitarian Response Capacities warehouses in Brindisi and Dubai have also been used to support the aid efforts in Syria.
  • The Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has provided data on the earthquake impact on buildings, estimates of economic figures for reconstruction needs, and an analysis on the floods, possible earthquake-affected dams, and cultural heritage or agriculture in Turkey and Syria.
  • The JRC has also provided an analysis on the impact of the earthquake on the cultural heritage or on agriculture in Turkey and Syria.

Statistics:

  • £7 billion pledged in aid by the international community to support Turkey and Syria.
  • £3.6 billion contributed by the European Commission and EU Member States to the total pledge.
  • £6.05 billion in grants and loans for Turkey and £950 million in grants for Syria.
  • Over 50% of the total pledge comes from Team Europe.
  • £100 billion estimated economic figures for reconstruction needs in Turkey.
  • 1,750 rescuers and 111 search dogs deployed to Turkey via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
  • Six medical teams, including five field hospitals and a medical evacuation plane, deployed to Turkey.
  • 15,000 people treated by European medical teams in Turkey.
  • 21 European countries sent assistance to Turkey via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
  • The EU Civil Protection Mechanism has been activated, with 2 days of relief from 16 European countries being trucked in via Turkey and Lebanon to government and non-government controlled areas in Syria.

Sources:

  • Website of the International Donors' Conference 'Together for the people in Turkey and Syria'
  • Opening speech by President Ursula von der Leyen
  • Remarks by President Ursula von der Leyen
  • Opening remarks by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson
  • Remarks by Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic
  • UNDP Post-Disaster Needs Assessment Turkey - Country factsheet
  • Syria - Country factsheet
  • Turkey - Factsheet Humanitarian Assistance
  • Syria - Factsheet Humanitarian Assistance
  • Photos and videos are available on EbS
  • Quote(s) by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
  • Quote(s) by Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister of Sweden
  • Quote(s) by Janez Lenarcic, Commissioner for Crisis Management
  • Quote(s) by Oliver Varhelyi, Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement
  • Quote(s) by The European Investment Bank Group

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