Context
On the 6th of February 2023, two devastating earthquakes of magnitude 7.8 and 7.7 and numerous aftershocks struck northwest Syria and southeast Turkey leaving thousands of people dead, many more injured, and causing catastrophic damage to properties. The crisis was further exacerbated by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake that ravaged southern Turkey two weeks later, causing more destruction and the loss of more lives. With the collective death toll in excess of 50,000 and many families living in temporary shelters, more than 850,000 children have been displaced. Naturally, children and their caregivers affected by these earthquakes have experienced trauma and stress, with their well-being jeopardised.
Our Response
In response to this crisis, our Parenting for Lifelong Health (PLH) Team at the University of Oxford have collaborated with the WHO, UNICEF, other UN agencies and international organisations to develop resources to support families affected by the crisis. The resources, adaptations of resources previously developed by the team for the COVID-19 Parenting Response, the Ukraine Parenting Response, and the Pakistan Parenting Response, are 15 open-source evidence-based parenting tips in the format of tip sheets. They include tips to help parents cope and support their children to cope during the crisis, prevent child trafficking, and support children when someone they love dies. The tips sheets are available in English, Turkish and Arabic, and are presently being disseminated by partner organisations to families who have been affected by the crisis.
These resources are easy to share on social media, and can be downloaded from the website and from our Google drive on Syria and Turkey.
Access our Türkiye/Syria Parenting Resources
