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Earthquake response
Earthquakes hit the cities of Aleppo, Latakia, and Hama.
Since the first hours of the earthquake on 6 February 2023, the relief office in Aleppo responded to the call urgently, even though they, their families, and their homes were mainly affected by the disaster.
The teams were distributed among the temporary shelter centers to count the numbers and the enormous needs, and within hours, successive convoys set out from Damascus after preparing and equipping them to reach their beneficiaries through the hands of the organization’s volunteers.
During the first days, the response projects varied between distributions of winter rations due to the cold weather and the urgent displacement of people to the centers, in addition to food rations that included ready-to-eat food items, and hygiene kits to prevent the spread of diseases in crowded shelter centers.
73 shelter centers were reached and 300,000 individuals directly benefited from urgent relief distributions by the EPDC teams within the affected governorates.
Cholera response
Community awareness & Hygiene Kits distributions
EPDC implemented an awareness campaign about diseases transmitted due to water pollution in the town of Jaramana in the Damascus countryside – and in the Aziziyah neighborhood in the city of Hasakah. The response included field visits to people’s homes, and inviting them to attend awareness sessions at the Authority’s centers spread in the designated areas.
Awareness sessions, in which public health specialists participated, explained diseases transmitted through contaminated water, such as cholera, methods of sterilizing water and tanks, methods of obtaining potable water, and sterilizing water when necessary.
Health rations were also distributed, including materials to sterilize drinking water, detergents, and personal and family hygiene tools.
6,690 families were reached by the project’s awareness and health services.
3,000 families in the city of Jaramana in the Damascus countryside.
3,690 families in Al-Aziziyah neighborhood in Al-Hasakah.
winterization supplies
Heater and Tamaz distributions
The project, which is being implemented by the Authority for the third year in a row, is a direct response to the needs of the local community in the Syrian countryside in the winter, with the significant drop in temperatures in these areas. Implementation of the project for distributing heaters and the materials needed to ignite them, which is Tamaz (energy alternative – olive press waste), has begun as an alternative solution to the difficulty of Fuel insurance, its scarcity, and high prices.
Targeted areas in the winter season 2023-2024Daraa countryside: Alma village – Jeddah village
Homs countryside: villages (Al-Wareida – Badu – Al-Thawra (Umm Sharshouh) – Tasnin – Housh Kafrnan – Kafrnan – Kaysin – Al-Masoudiyah – Jeb Al-Jarrah).
4050 families in the countryside of Homs and Daraa
Each family receives a heater and its accessories (2 hoods, 2 elbows, and 1 tray).
The first batch of Tamaz is 72 kg. Each family is delivered two additional similar batches, each batch of 72 kg of Tamaz, during the winter months.
Parents attend a session that explains the correct and safe installation methods for the heater. Safety, safety, and fire protection instructions are presented, and explanatory leaflets are also distributed.