📅 20 March 2023
Brussels, Belgium
On 6 February 2023, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, followed by 2 devastating tremors, struck Türkiye and Syria, causing widespread destruction, and killing tens of thousands of people.
To help mobilise support from the international community in dealing with the devastating aftermath, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, as the Presidency of the Council of the EU, will jointly host a Donors’ Conference on 20 March 2023 in Brussels.
”Six weeks after the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, we come together to support the survivors of this tragedy. Our solidarity will continue to be as strong as it was in the first hours after the earthquake. The people in Türkiye and Syria should know that we are with them for the long run. I invite all nations and all donors, public and private, to contribute and honour the memory of the lives lost, the heroism of the first responders and most importantly to build together a better future for the survivors”, said Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
The Conference will be open to all EU Member States, neighbouring countries, the UN, international financial institutions, and other relevant stakeholders that wish to contribute and support the relief efforts. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is currently preparing a post-disaster needs assessment to inform the donors ahead of the conference about the reconstruction and rehabilitation needs.
The Commissioner in charge of Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Olivér Várhelyi, and the Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, Johan Forssell will jointly chair the Conference.