Giro555 raised €128 million for Turkey and Syria after earthquake

The Giro555 fundraiser for helping the people in Turkey and Syria impacted by a massive earthquake early last year ended on 31 December 2023. The Netherlands raised 128 million euros for this cause, making it the third-largest Giro555 fundraiser ever.

With the first part of the proceeds, the aid organizations behind Giro555 helped at least 5.5 million people in the first nine months. They helped remove people from the rubble, provided medical assistance to 66,961 people, handed out nearly 583,000 food parcels, secured access to safe drinking water for 811,000 people, and created temporary shelters. The focus is now slowly shifting to the recovery of the local economies and income sources and providing psychological care, especially aimed at children.

So far, the funds have gone equally to Turkey and Syria, and that will continue to be the case. But the aid provided differed based on what the countries needed, said Michiel Servaes, action chairman of Giro555. “The expertise that each aid organization offers on behalf of Giro 555 means that we can respond to the differing needs in both countries.”

“In Syria, it was already difficult for many people to get enough food before the earthquake. The situation subsequently deteriorated further, partly due to sky-high inflation. The aid organizations have made large-scale efforts to distribute food, in the form of meals, food parcels, and various cahs projects,” Servaes explained.

“In Turkey, a major water problem had arisen, among other things. We have now been able to repair the water treatment plant there that provides thousands of people in the region with clean water again,” he said.”

The aid organizations will use the money from the campaign to provide assistance until March 2025. Now that the immediate needs are largely met, the focus will slowly shift to permanent housing, psychological help, and scaling up financial support to families and entrepreneurs so that people can start providing for themselves again.

A main focus is mental health support for children, said Wietske Nijman, emergency aid coordinator on behalf of UNICEF. “Their normal routines have been turned upside down in one fell swoop, and friends have often fled to different places. Many children lost their parents, family, or homes. All of this can lead to anxiety, social isolation, depression, and other stress-related problems.”

With the help of Giro555, UNICEF has supported 36 child-friendly spaces to provide education and support, which is “crucial for children’s mental well-being,” Nijman said. “And we will support 45 spaces again this year.”