Priceless: Grandfather's watch
His grandfather's watch is the only thing Mohammad managed to take from his destroyed home.
Read moreThe Syrian war remains one of the worst humanitarian crises of our time - an entire generation of children has never known a life in peace and the devastating earthquakes in February 2023 have further exacerbated the situation. Around 7.2 million people live as internally displaced persons in their own country, a figure only surpassed by Sudan.
Added to this are problems caused by climate change: a prolonged drought and flooding are restricting access to clean water in particular and leading to significant crop and income losses. The vast majority of Syria's sub-districts are now categorised as being in severe, extreme or catastrophic conditions.
More than 16.7 million people - including women and children in particular - are dependent on humanitarian aid. We have been on the ground with our partner organisations since 2012, providing vital emergency aid.
Immediately after the disaster, we sent an emergency relief team to the earthquake region for rapid coordination of aid. Together with our partner organizations, we remain at the side of those affected, as the effects of the earthquake continue to have a lasting impact on the lives of many local people.
Our help in the health sector:
Our help in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector:
Our help in the area of food security and improving living conditions:
Since almost the beginning of the crisis in Syria, MI has been providing life-saving emergency aid to the people in need in Syria - especially in the areas of medical care. Together with our partner organizations on the ground, MI supports hospitals, basic health centers, and mobile medical teams. MI, through partner organizations, distributes relief supplies such as blankets, mattresses, and hygiene kits and is also particularly active in providing potable water, sanitation, and hygiene within the IDP camps. MI also supports the provision of psychosocial support and protection. To improve food and nutrition security in Syria, we are strengthening the agricultural sector and empower people's livelihoods.
His grandfather's watch is the only thing Mohammad managed to take from his destroyed home.
Read moreOne year after the earthquake, our press officer travelled to the affected region and spoke to the people there.
Read morePeople in Syria are still suffering from the consequences of the disaster. Four people shared their stories with us.
Read moreAt the hospital on the Turkish-Syrian border, Hala tells us about her life in the crisis area.
Read moreThe situation of the affected people in the earthquake regions in Syria is still dire. Read the stories of affected people.
Read moreEighth grader Ahmad Ali started a fundraiser, raising over €1,000 for people affected by the earthquake in Syria.
Read moreAhmed works at a motorcycle maintenance shop near his refugee camp to secure a living and buy medicine for his siblings.
Read moreWeeks later, people in southeastern Türkiye and northwestern Syria's earthquake region still live in constant fear.
Read moreWar, drought and rising prices are the triggers of the hunger crisis in Syria.
Read moreDoctors in hospitals supported by Malteser International in northwestern Syria report.
Read moreThe war in Syria began in March 2011 and has claimed many lives ever since.
Read more"A few days after we fled, I learned that our house had been destroyed during the bombing. They sent me a video of it. When I saw it, I felt so bad," says Iman Al-Mahmoud.
Read moreFor many Syrian children living with chronic diseases, the war means also coping with the challenge of their unmanaged health problems.
Read Yusuf's storyCologne/Gaziantep. The fall of the Assad regime in Syria has made the extent of the humanitarian emergency situation clearly visible throughout the country, particularly in the health sector. “Several of the 18 healthcare facilities we are supporting are currently completely overcrowded. In addition to therapeutic and clinical care, people are in special need of psychological support,” says Lena Schellhammer, Country Officer for Syria at Malteser International.
Read moreCologne. A year after the devastating earthquake in the border region between Syria and Türkiye, more than three million people remain displaced, living in makeshift shelters or tents. In northwestern Syria, the absence of state structures to coordinate reconstruction efforts has left a void, hindering the rebuilding process. The situation is further compounded by dwindling international funding, which has reduced UN aid, exacerbating food shortages and deepening the humanitarian crisis.
Read more"The extent of the destruction is still inconceivable. Although clean-up work is progressing in many parts of Türkiye and reconstruction has begun in some areas, millions of people are left with nothing," explains Dr. Thomas Weiss, Head of Malteser International's Middle East Department. Six months after the devastating earthquake in Türkiye and Syria, Malteser International has expanded relief efforts. The need for humanitarian support is still high.
Read moreCologne/Kilis. On the day Ahmed was born, his father died in a hail of bullets. That was at the beginning of the war in Syria. Today Ahmed is twelve years old and has never known a life outside of war, flight, and destruction. He was born in the town of Homs, but his parents’ house was destroyed and so his mother fled with Ahmed and his siblings to Bab al-Hawah near the Turkish-Syrian border. That was also his home when the devastating earthquake hit Türkiye and Syria on February 6.
Read moreCologne/Gaziantep. After the severe earthquake in Türkiye and Syria early Monday morning, the Turkish government has asked the international community for help. The quake had a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale. According to reports so far, more than 600 people were killed in both countries. However, the numbers are rising rapidly and the damage to residential buildings and infrastructure is massive. Malteser International (MI) has sent an emergency relief team to the affected region.
Read moreProject regions: Aleppo and Idlib
Partners: Independent Doctors Association (IDA), Hand in Hand for Aid and Development (HIHFAD), The Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), Bahar, Shafak
Photo credits donation examples: HIHFAD
Anna Miehlau
Email: anna.miehlau(at)malteser-international.org
Lena Schellhammer
Email: lena.schellhammer(at)malteser-international.org