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Events
Launch Real-Time Review: Syrian diaspora earthquake response
We are delighted to invite you for the launch of the Real-Time Review: "Syrian Diaspora Response to the Earthquake in Northwest Syria" on August 28, 2023.
Stefanie Glinski
About the event
This report captures diaspora engagement efforts immediately following the earthquake that struck southern Türkiye and northwest Syria on February 6, 2023.
During the event, we will discuss the impact, outreach, and organization of Syrian-led emergency responses, with a focus on cross-border initiatives and global diaspora organizations. Our panel of diaspora organizations and researchers will highlight the scope, modalities, and coordination of the diaspora response, as well as addressing the main challenges and offering recommendations.
Date: August 28, 2023
Time: 09:00 - 10:30 EDT (New York, Washington D.C.)
15:00 - 16:30 CEST (Copenhagen, Paris, Brussels)
16:00 - 17:30 TRT (Gaziantep)
Language: English with simultaneous interpretation to Arabic
Syrian diaspora organizations were first responders when the earthquake struck
The earthquakes on February 6, 2023, had devastating humanitarian consequences, especially in the Syrian cities of Idleb, Aleppo, Hama, and Latakia. Closed borders and reduced humanitarian access further complicated the response efforts. Aid organizations and their staff within the earthquake zone were significantly affected.
Prior to the earthquakes, Syrian actors, including local NGOs and diaspora organizations, played a crucial role in the humanitarian aid system in northwest Syria, particularly in non-government-controlled areas. They were responding on the frontlines from day one, providing medical care and relief in hard-to-reach regions and across Syrian provinces. They also effectively coordinated cross-border responses, through actors such as the Syrian NGO Alliance (SNA), a coalition of 22 major Syrian NGOs.
About the Syrian diaspora
Around seven million Syrians, roughly one-third of the pre-war population, have been forced to leave the country since 2011. The majority of them, about 5.5 million, are in neighbouring states, such as Turkey and Lebanon. Europe hosts about 1 million Syrian refugees, about 60 percent of them (590,000) are based in Germany (Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, 2023).
Photo Credit: Stefanie Glinski
