Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria: How to support relief efforts
Feb 08, 2023
Updated on Feb 22, 2023
Early on Monday morning, February 6, 2023, Turkey (also spelled Türkiye) and Syria suffered from one of the deadliest earthquakes in the past century. With over 46,000 people reported dead and at least 80,000 injured, this is devastating to an area already facing a humanitarian crisis.
And the problem of ongoing quakes and damage isn't over as the region continues to suffer from aftershocks. The people of Turkey and Syria are still relying on the relief provided by generous people around the world.
Below is a list of reputable nonprofits that are providing necessary aid to those affected by this disaster. This list was compiled in partnership with Charity Navigator, so you can find trustworthy organizations that are making a difference in the wake of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
Please note: Due to sanctions on Syria from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), financial support restricted for use in Syria may face delays. To support the timely delivery of grant funds, we suggest recommending unrestricted grants to organizations that are providing disaster relief support in the wake of the earthquake.
| Charity Name | EIN | Areas of support |
|---|---|---|
| Goodnation | 81- 4768448 | Donating to Goodnation's Smartfund will provide funds to vetted nonprofits, including Americares, All Hands and Hearts, and Swasia Charity Foundation, to offer basic human and animal needs, medical supplies, and shelter provisions, repairs, and rebuilding. |
| Center for Disaster Philanthropy, Inc | 45-5257937 | CDP’s Turkey & Syria Earthquake Recovery Fund is collaborating with local partners to prioritize relief with an intersectional lens on racial equity and emphasizes medium- and long-term recovery. |
| UNICEF USA | 13-1760110 | With a focus on children and their families, UNICEF is providing both immediate and long-term assistance, from basic necessities and medical supplies to mental health services reuniting families separated by the earthquakes. |
| All Hands and Hearts | 20-3414952 | All Hands and Hearts are in Türkiye deploying their unique volunteer-driven model to work with the locals and determine how they can provide both immediate and long-term assistance by helping locals rebuild their damaged infrastructure. |
| GlobalGiving | 30-0108263 | GlobalGiving is providing relief in Turkey and Syria by offering victims, food, clean water, medicine, and shelter in the wake of the disaster. The fund will also go to mental health support for survivors and support economic relief efforts. |
| Direct Relief | 95‑ 1831116 | Direct Relief is focused on providing medical assistance to survivors of the quakes in Syria and Turkey. They have partnered with the Turkish Search and Rescue Team and the Syrian American Medical Society to support displaced people. |
| International Medical Corps | 95-3949646 | International Medical Corps has been on the ground helping refugees in Turkey for years, and now they are providing medical relief and supplies to survivors of the earthquakes. They are also working in Syria to provide mental health services and essential supplies. |
| Concern Worldwide Us, Inc | 13-3712030 | Concern Worldwide is on the ground in Şanlıurfa, near the epicenter of the earthquakes, providing shelter, blankets, heat, food and water to survivors facing extreme cold weather. They plan to expand their relief efforts as the region recovers. |
| Oxfam America, Inc | 23-7069110 | In pursuit of its mission to fight inequality and end poverty and injustice, Oxfam America is providing support to its affiliate, Oxfam KEDV, in partnering with around 80 women’s cooperative in 10 Turkish provinces to get relief where it’s needed most. |
| Helping Hand for Relief and Development, Inc | 31-1628040 | Helping Hand for Relief and Development’s Jordan office is working with vetted local organizations to provide food, warm clothes, water, hygiene kits, and more to Turkish residents and Syrian and Uyghur refugees. |
| Zakat Foundation of America | 36-4476244 | Zakat has been focused on helping Syrian refugees on the border since the beginning of the civil war, and they are continuing their support in the region by providing emergency relief in the wake of the earthquakes. |
| Mercy-USA for Aid and Development | 38-2846307 | Mercy-USA has mobilized their local team to provide immediate emergency support in both Turkey and northern Syria. They are providing ready-to-eat meals, water, hygiene kits, and blankets as immediate relief to survivors. |
| Handicap International | 55-0914744 | Handicap International directly provides emergency relief to those with serious injuries and people with disabilities to support equitable assistance. Their rehabilitation services help survivors regain mobility and avoid long-term consequences. |
| Islamic Relief USA | 95-4453134 | Islamic Relief USA has mobilized their teams in Türkiye to provide emergency relief for families affected by natural disasters in the area and humanitarian aid for the Syrian and Iraqi refugees. |
To support these charities or others:
Log in to your online account by clicking the Login button in the upper right corner. Select Grant in the navigation menu at the top of the page and select Recommend a grant in the dropdown.
If the organization is not in your saved charities’ list, type the charity name, region, or interest area in the search bar under Find a charity. Click the magnifying glass to begin the search and then scroll down to see your search results. Charities will appear in a list below. Once found, save the charity by clicking on the star and then click select to begin the granting process.
You will be asked to select a grant purpose in the first step of the process. Select Disaster Relief: Middle East Earthquakes in the drop down. If you want to donate to a specific cause or affected area, indicate so in the space provided.
If you do not have access to your online account, you can register by selecting the Login button in the upper right-hand corner. Follow the prompts to register for online access.
As noted above, the nonprofit community's response will be ongoing, and as such, this list is not meant to be exhaustive.
International granting options:
You may also choose to recommend a grant to an international charity through Charities Aid Foundation of America (CAF America), an industry leader in international granting. To do so simply recommend a grant1 to CAF America, EIN 43-1634280, and choose the specific purpose Other. Then click Add Additional Comments and write in your preferred international charity and, if applicable, a specific area of support. (For example, "Molham Volunteering Team.")
For a full list of international charities that are responding to the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria and recommended by CAF America, click here.
If you do not have access to your online account, you can register by selecting the Login button in the upper right-hand corner. Follow the prompts to register for online access.
The nonprofit community's response will be ongoing, and as such, these lists are not meant to be exhaustive.
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