KUALA LUMPUR: The United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) Malaysia is appealing for US$1 million in response to the emerging humanitarian crisis caused by the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria.
“We share in the shock and grief at the devastation caused by the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria,” said Robert Gass, Unicef Representative in Malaysia.
“Unicef is coordinating support with the governments in their immediate response to provide relief to children and their families.
“In Malaysia, we have launched an emergency appeal to contribute to a united effort to provide aid to children displaced by the destruction,” he said in a statement.
Thousands of children and families are at risk after two devastating earthquakes and numerous aftershocks hit southeast Türkiye and Syria on Feb 6.
It was reported that the combined death toll from the earthquakes and aftershocks that struck Türkiye and Syria has passed 23,000 people (Feb 10), with numbers rising daily.
The United Nations has warned that at least 870,000 people were now in urgent need of hot meals across Turkey and Syria. In Syria alone, up to 5.3 million people may have been made homeless.
Unicef is coordinating with the government of Türkiye and the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency on emerging needs linked to the broader humanitarian response, focusing on providing support to children and families affected.
This includes providing warm winter clothing and blankets for thousands of children and babies, hygiene kits for displaced families, and mother-baby kits.
Among the priorities of Unicef in Syria is to ensure that affected children and their families have access to safe drinking water and sanitation – critical in preventing illness in the early days of a crisis, Unicef said.
It said another high priority is that of child protection, which includes work to identify separated and unaccompanied children and work to reunite them with families, as well as offering psychosocial support to children who were likely traumatised by the earthquake.
Unicef is therefore calling for the international community to ensure children’s needs are prioritised recognising that children are among those most vulnerable.
Unicef Malaysia said the organisation will be reaching out to donors to give to the Türkiye-Syria Earthquake Appeal for Children.
Those who wish to donate to the Türkiye-Syria Earthquake Appeal for Children may do so via bank transfer to United Nations Children’s Fund-Emergency (Malayan Banking Berhad account number: 5143 2960 2449).
The public can also contact the donation hotline at 1300 300 010 or contribute online at https://bit.ly/EarthquakeEmergency_UNICEFMY.
For enquiries or corporate donations, contact Unicef Malaysia at [email protected] .