A 7.8 magnitude earthquake and multiple severe aftershocks hit Türkiye (Turkey) and northwest Syria on February 6, 2023, creating a complex humanitarian emergency. In the first few weeks following the earthquake, the death toll across the region neared 50,000 and rising as recovery efforts progress. While Türkiye is receiving direct aid from donor countries, humanitarian access in Syria is severely limited, raising concerns particularly for the 5.3 million people in northwest Syria in need of emergency assistance and humanitarian relief, most of whom are women and children.

In this policy brief, the Women’s Refugee Commission outlines a series of actions we urge all humanitarian actors to take to ensure that the needs and rights of Syrian women and girls are addressed in the crisis response and recovery.