Providing Assistance to Türkiye and Syria

Sartorius has donated €250,000 to help the victims of the devastating earthquake in Türkiye and Syria

Read about how medical aid organization action medeor and its local partners are helping in this crisis.

Markus Bremers in Hatay (Türkiye). On a fact-finding trip, he spoke with victims, identified needs, planned and coordinated aid with partners. © action medeor

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Three weeks after two heavy earthquakes struck southern Türkiye and northwestern Syria, the medical aid organization action medeor and its local partners are focusing on providing shelter, essential goods, and medical care. More than one million people have lost their homes and infrastructure like roads and hospitals were damaged when the 6.3 and 7.8-magnitude quakes hit the two countries. To support the international disaster relief efforts, Sartorius donated €250,000 to action medeor.
 

After the earthquakes hit the region, the priority for action medeor and its local partners – the International Blue Crescent (IBC) in Türkiye and the Independent Doctors Association (IDA) in Syria – was on the deployment of emergency shelters and the distribution of food, hygiene kits, blankets, and beds. Action medeor, the IBC as well as the IDA already had been active in the region before the earthquake struck, so most supplies could be sourced locally, minimizing logistical delays.
 

Alongside the immediate response, the three organizations moved quickly to provide medical care and supplies where needed. In Turkiye, the IBC formed mobile health teams to visit people who cannot reach a hospital that is still operating.
 

During our fact-finding trip, we found that the hospitals in Türkiye that remained unscathed are well equipped. However, the medical staff on the ground told us that many injured people do not even get to the hospital because the roads are arduous and there are neither buses nor other ways of transport.

Says action medeor’s Markus Bremers, who arrived  in Türkiye two days after the earthquake.

In Syria, action medeor has been supporting various hospitals and mobile clinics for years, while the IDA operates a broad range of healthcare facilities in the region. These existing ties are key as they speed up the reaction time in the current situation, enabling a fast mobilization of IDA’s already existing mobile health teams. On top of the established local procurement, action medeor is delivering medical supplies to Syria from its warehouse in Germany to avoid possible shortages in the coming months.
 

Learn more about action medeor and its local partners:

The German medical aid organization action medeor has worked for sustainable and improved healthcare for people especially in the poorest regions of the world for almost 60 years now. Based in Tönisvorst on the Lower Rhine, the charitable, non-governmental organization supplies medical aid to healthcare facilities in around 100 countries across Africa, Latin America and Asia. In emergencies, action medeor is able to dispatch vital medicines, medical supplies and equipment to the relevant countries within a few hours.

IBC (International Blue Crescent) is a Turkish aid organization with which action medeor has been cooperating for many years. They are currently working with this partner on joint aid projects in Ukraine.

IDA (Independent Doctors Association) currently operates several hospitals in the opposition-controlled areas of Syria. There is also a trusting relationship with this partner and many aid deliveries have been implemented here together in the past.