The Arab Philanthropic & Civic Sector Response to the Syria-Turkey Earthquakes
June 13 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
In partnership with the International Medical Corps, the Arab Foundations Forum is pleased to host a virtual panel discussion on the Arab philanthropic and civic sector response to the Syria-Turkey earthquakes.
The devastating earthquakes have had a deleterious effect, with 5,914 million Syrians dead in the northwestern region and millions left exposed to an acute rise in the levels of homelessness, food insecurity, emergency medical needs, and massive disruption to the livelihoods of an already vulnerable population. The earthquake-affected areas are home to fully 50% of Syria’s internally displaced persons (IDPs).
In the disaster’s aftermath, the Arab philanthropy and civic sector was a frontline responder providing humanitarian relief and life-saving support in the form of search-and-rescue efforts, medical emergency support, food assistance, the organization of crowd-sourcing campaigns, and other critical contributions.
As Syria slowly transitions to its recovery and reconstruction phase, the World Bank estimates the costs of physical damages and losses to be as much as US$5.2 billion, and the recovery and reconstruction could reach nearly US$8 billion. By helping to bridge the pervasive gaps in Syria’s reconstruction needs, Arab philanthropy and non-profits can again play an important role.
This panel will address key questions regarding the effects of the earthquakes on Syria’s most vulnerable populations with the aim of informing the philanthropic response during both the emergency and early recovery phases.
Panel moderator: Yasmin Kayali, Co-founder & Board member, Basmeh & Zeitooneh
Panel host: Naila Farouky, CEO, Arab Foundations Forum
Panelists:
- Fadi Al-Dairi, Co-Founder and Regional Director, Hand in Hand for Aid and Development
- Wafaa Sadek, Country Director, Syria, International Medical Corps
- Firdavs Ogoev, Country Director, Turkey, International Medical Corps
- Erdem Aycieck, Head of Programs, MYSD-ASRA