Debate: EU response to the humanitarian situation following the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria
Date: MONDAY, 13 FEBRUARY 2023
Speaker: Janez Lenarčič
Language: EN

Just hours after the earthquake, the European Union mobilised search and rescue teams for Türkiye. The European Union Civil Protection Mechanism has offered 32 search and rescue teams and 6 medical teams from 21 EU Member States and 3 other European participating states. Our teams arrived quickly and have participated in the rescue efforts alongside the Turkish first responders since.  Last Thursday, I visited Gaziantep. The scale of destruction is without precedent in recent times. In Türkiye alone, more than 13 million people have been affected. Many of them are left homeless in very rough, harsh winter conditions. There is a desperate need for relief materials, including tents and other items to ensure that people have shelter and are protected from the cold.  That is why I have decided to mobilise rescEU – the EU’s own emergency stockpiles. We have sent 500 temporary accommodation units, 2 000 tents and 8 000 beds to Turkey from these European strategic reserves. In addition, 16 Member States have already offered various shelter items to help people in Türkiye. We have also allocated an additional EUR 3 million to humanitarian partners to meet the most urgent needs across the affected locations in Türkiye.  It is crucial that we also help the people of Syria, who have been greatly impacted. And millions of Syrians were already dependent on humanitarian aid before the earthquake, with almost 3 million displaced in northwest Syria alone.  Following a request for assistance from the government of Syria, as well as an activation of the Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism by the World Food Programme, nine Member States so far, as well as one participating state, have already offered in-kind assistance: family tents, sleeping bags, mattresses, beds, food items, winter clothing and more. We are working to ensure that this assistance can be delivered rapidly and equitably to all people who need the assistance.  The Commission also allocated an additional EUR 3.5 million in emergency humanitarian funding to help our partners address urgent needs in Syria. They are already providing water and sanitation support, distributing blankets, hot meals, tents and hygiene items.  Emergency assistance is also being mobilised through a deployment of the European humanitarian response capacity. These are strategic stocks of emergency items, among others in Dubai and Brindisi, and they will be delivered to Syrians affected by the earthquake, including winterised tents, heaters, blankets, water, sanitation, hygiene kits and kitchen sets. We will also offer logistical support to deliver assistance.  Honourable Members, the European Union is determined to further scale up support in view of this unprecedented catastrophe. Considering the enormous needs, the European Commission and the Swedish Presidency of the Council will host next month the donors conference in support of the people of Türkiye and Syria. This is organised in coordination with the Turkish authorities to mobilise international funds, notably for reconstruction and rehabilitation.  I look forward to hearing your views in today’s debate.