Desperation follows devastating earthquakes

AS Syrian and Turkish children, educators and families contend with the aftermath of February’s devastating earthquakes, the NEU has stepped up its support for humanitarian work in affected areas.

Following the launch of appeals by Education International – the global education union federation – and sister unions in the region, the NEU made a national contribution and has since been encouraging members and districts to also donate.

Schools and hospitals destroyed

The combined death toll across Turkey and Syria has surpassed 54,000. Millions of people have been directly impacted and critical infrastructure, such as schools, hospitals and roads, have been destroyed.

In Syria, already home to one of the most complex humanitarian situations in the world, the UN estimates that almost nine million people have been affected. The earthquakes came as many Syrians were living through their twelfth year in displacement. The Union of Teachers in Northeast Syria (UNTES) reported that 28 schools were destroyed, five of its branch union offices decimated, and that many educators have lost their homes.

Half the population facing hunger

With the fallout of the earthquakes exacerbating the existing humanitarian emergency, more than 50 per cent of the population now faces hunger. The World Food Programme has said that the average monthly wage in Syria currently covers about a quarter of a family’s food needs.

According to NEU partner Solidarity with the People of Turkey (SPOT), the

Turkish Government did not heed warnings about the devastation earthquakes would cause and has been slow to provide relief to the 17 million people who are estimated to be affected. The education union EğitimSen has reported that branch buildings have collapsed and that many educators have lost their lives. The union has established crisis desks to support members and is appealing for financial solidarity.

Just 5% of required humanitarian funds

Despite enormous need, at the time Educate went to press, the respective UN flash appeals for Syria and Turkey were only 12 and 13 per cent funded. Meanwhile, the overarching humanitarian response plan for Syria in 2022 was not even halfway funded and so far the figure for 2023 languishes at just five per cent. n To find out more about how to make a donation, visit neu.org.uk/international

The NEU invites districts to support sister organisations in Turkey and Syria as they provide life-saving and life-sustaining relief to their members and local communities and seek to rebuild following the devastating earthquakes. International solidarity from education unions is a lifeline and, given the local knowledge of our sister unions, is often able to support those who are the hardest to reach.