Project: Earthquake – Shelter and Winterization Support in northern Syria and southeast Turkey

RPI and Olive Branch

Project Summary: Refugee Protection International and Turkey-based charity partners assisted over 21,093 earthquake survivors in Syria (Idlib, Aleppo regions) and Turkey (Kahramanmaras, Antakya, Reyhanli, Gaziantep regions) in the initial weeks after the Feb 2023 quakes. 3,483 persons received RPI-funded emergency shelter materials (tents or blankets) and thousands more Syrian and Turkish survivors received ready-to-eat meals, milk, and winter clothing funded through RPI and distributed by our Turkey-based refugee-led partner Olive Branch. This featured RPI project with Olive Branch organization builds on annual shelter winterization for informal camps and tented settlements in war-torn Syria supported by RPI since 2015.

Background: Since the initial 7.8 magnitude earthquake on February 6th, 2023, over 50,000 civilians have died in Turkey and Syria, with millions in need of aid. More than 160,000 buildings have collapsed in Turkey alone. When the first earthquake struck, Olive Branch staff and volunteers rescued 35 victims from the rubble in northern Syria and collected data on the relief needs of survivors in dozens of informal tented settlements and towns. Thanks to RPI’s giving partners, Olive Branch distributed aid to thousands of survivors on both sides of the border.

Since 2015, RPI and Olive Branch have helped war-displaced civilians repair and heat their tents and have eco-friendly fuel for cooking, heating, and washing. This “berine” fuel is made of compressed olive waste sourced locally. Past distributions have included tent insulation, floor mats, heaters, heating fuel and more to dozens of informal tented camps. Thank you to our giving partners.