UN raises quarter of $1 bn Turkey quake funds target

The United Nations said Friday it has so far raised a quarter of the money it needs for relief work in Turkey after the earthquake that killed more than 55,000 people.

Donors have so far contributed $268 million to the $1 billion flash appeal issued by the UN following the 7.8-magnitude quake on February 6 and its aftershocks that devastated swathes of southeast Turkey and parts of war-torn Syria.

The UN humanitarian agency’s spokesman Jens Laerke told reporters in Geneva that the initial emergency phase had ended.

“Now we are involved in the humanitarian emergency phase, where we look at what the survivors need,” he added.

On February 16, the UN launched an appeal for $1 billion to help more than five million people in Turkey during the first three months after the quake.

The United States, Kuwait, the European Commission, the UN’s emergency fund CERF and Saudi Arabia are currently the top five donors.

Laerke said UN and other humanitarian agencies had reached more than 4.1 million people with basic household items and clothes.

Of those, almost three million have been reached with emergency food aid.

And 1.6 million have received water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance.

The EU hosted a conference in Brussels earlier this month to raise money for reconstruction, the longer third phase.

Donors pledged seven billion euros to help Turkey and Syria recover, although Ankara has set the bill for rebuilding at well over 10 times that figure.

The UN has a twin flash appeal for Syria to help survivors over the first three months, which has raised $364 million of the $398 million requested.

Some 1,177 UN relief trucks have so far entered northern Syria from Turkey.

“Since last month, we and our partners have provided shelter support, including tents, to nearly 100,000 people.

“Partners have also distributed more than 850,000 ready-to-eat food rations and over one million hot meals to people across affected areas,” Laerke said.