The WILPF Australia section is horrified that more than 20,000 people have died as a result of the massive earthquakes that hit near the Türkiye-Syria border in the early hours of Monday morning. We acknowledge the devastation this has caused and we stand in solidarity with WILPF partner women’s organisations in Syria who have been affected by the earthquakes.
We are pleased that the Australian government will provide an initial $3 million for Syria through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), for immediate needs and with a focus on women and girls. This is part of its initial commitment of $10 million in humanitarian aid to Syria and Turkey.
We urge the Syrian regime and the Turkish government to enable the provision of UN aid to be provided directly to the north of Syria, in areas outside of government control, through the unconditional opening of the Syrian-Turkish border.
WILPF Australia members and supporters are urged to donate to emergency aid being provided by trusted organisations and initiatives below as advised by the WILPF International Secretariat.