Int'l Red Cross increases emergency funding ask for Türkiye, Syria as humanitarian needs rise

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on Thursday said it is hiking emergency funding ask for quake-hit Türkiye and Syria as humanitarian needs rise.

The IFRC said it is increasing emergency appeals from CHF 200 million to CHF 650 million (nearly $703 million), as the scale of the earthquake’s devastation in both countries becomes clearer.

"The full impact of this earthquake is still unfolding. The situation on the ground is rapidly changing, and needs are growing by the minute. For survivors, these are some of the hardest moments of their lives and the road to recovery will be long," said IFRC’s Secretary General Jagan Chapagain, who is currently visiting communities in Türkiye and Syria.

"The most urgent needs are shelter, health care and sanitation, food, and water. People are also facing major distress – early access to mental health and psychosocial support is critical," he said.

More than 36,000 people were killed and over 105,000 others wounded in the magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes that struck southern Türkiye on Feb. 6.