Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Turkey and Syria Earthquakes

Tuesday 14 March 2023 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • UK aid provided search and rescue, medical care, and other assistance to earthquake survivors in Turkey and Syria.
  • UK has contributed approximately 3.8 billion towards efforts in Syria since the crisis began, surpassing EU contributions.
  • Discussions are ongoing with Turkish officials to ensure displaced children can return to a place of safety and receive education.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Mark Menzies Con
Ukraine
Context

Türkiye and Syria have been affected by major earthquakes, leading to significant humanitarian needs.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to support those affected by the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria.?

Answer from Andrew Mitchell

UK aid ranging from search and rescue to tents to medical care has helped thousands of survivors in Turkey and Syria, and more than 9,000 patients have been treated by UK medical teams as of 7 March.

Answered
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Q2 Mark Menzies Con
Foreign Affairs
Context

The British-Turkish community and individuals affected by the Syrian war are now facing new challenges due to recent earthquakes in the region.

Question

Will my right hon. Friend commit to ensuring this Government's efforts go beyond initial disaster relief and provide long-term support for those in the region to rebuild their lives, their homes and their businesses?

Answer from Andrew Mitchell

Since the Syria crisis began, as my hon. Friend knows, Britain has contributed something like £3.8 billion, which is more than the whole European Union has provided added together. We will certainly focus on that. For now, the British taxpayer has found £43 million and the Disasters Emergency Committee has raised £100 million.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Commitment to long-term support

How: Will Focus On

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Q3 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Context

Over 850,000 children remain displaced following the February earthquake in Türkiye and Syria.

Question

More than 850,000 children remain displaced after the earthquake that hit in early February, with many of these children now in temporary shelters. What discussions have Ministers had with Turkish officials to ensure that all is done to return children to a place of safety, to locate their families and to educate them?

Answer from Andrew Mitchell

The hon. Gentleman is right on all counts. Immediately after the crisis, Education Cannot Wait allocated $7 million to try to ensure that children, particularly those out of school, could get back into education. We will continue with our efforts to ensure people who suffered so much from the earthquake are remedied in every way we can.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific discussions and actions taken by ministers

How: We Will Continue With Our Efforts

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