09 February 2023
“As President of the Luxembourg Red Cross, I would like to express my deepest sympathy and the solidarity of our entire organisation with the hundreds of thousands of families affected by the deadly earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Sunday night.
Words cannot describe the plight of these families, many of whom have already been displaced several times. Family members and relatives have died under the rubble or are missing, their homes often destroyed or uninhabitable.
I would like to salute the volunteers of the Turkish Red Crescent Society and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent Society, who were among the first to respond to the disaster despite being affected themselves. Their selflessness and dedication to humanitarian action is to be admired. The support of our donors in Luxembourg will help them to have the necessary means to help the tens of thousands of victims of this disaster in the middle of winter.
I am proud to see that the Turkish Red Crescent is currently installing tents developed with the help of the Shelter Research Unit of the Luxembourg Red Cross in the area most affected by the earthquake. These tents have been designed to withstand winter conditions. This is proof of our organisation’s ability to anticipate and prepare. Unfortunately, the scale of the damage exceeds even the most pessimistic disaster scenarios and the resources available will not be sufficient to cope.
Together with the community of 192 National Societies of our Movement, we are mobilizing to save lives and help the victims rebuild. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies estimates the need for aid at 200 million euros. Let’s all get on with the job, time is running out.“
Donate to account LU52 1111 0000 1111 0000 Reference: Séisme Turquie Syrie