STATEMENT: UNICEF and the Rönesans Group joined forces to support children affected by the earthquakes in Türkiye

ISTANBUL, October 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In the wake of the devastating earthquakes that hit Gaziantep-Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, in February 2023, UNICEF partnered with Rönesans Group to provide essential services and support to children, adolescents and families affected by the disaster.

STATEMENT: UNICEF and the Rönesans Group joined forces to support children affected by the earthquakes in Türkiye

ISTANBUL, October 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In the wake of the devastating earthquakes that hit Gaziantep-Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, in February 2023, UNICEF partnered with Rönesans Group to provide essential services and support to children, adolescents and families affected by the disaster. UNICEF and Rönesans have collaborated to establish Support Centers for Children, Adolescents and Families (Birlikte) within the temporary housing spaces built by Rönesans in Malatya, one of the 11 cities most affected by the earthquakes in Türkiye, in order to protect children and ensure their mental health, psychosocial well-being and comprehensive development.

Rönesans Holding, the main investing entity of the conglomerate, based in Ankara, Türkiye, responded quickly to the disaster, quickly constructing temporary living spaces in two cities of Türkiye, Malatya and Adıyaman. Carefully designed with the well-being of the most vulnerable members of society in mind, especially women and children, these temporary living spaces have become vital for those affected.

Since the February 6 earthquakes, UNICEF has been working around the clock to provide services to affected children and families. Services provided by UNICEF have helped ensure that more than 405,600 children were able to return to formal and non-formal education and provided psychosocial support to more than 862,000 children and caregivers. To date, UNICEF and its partners have established 53 centers and spaces to support children, adolescents and families in the affected area.

During a recent joint field visit, Paolo Marchi, UNICEF Representative in Türkiye a.i. stated: "The earthquakes have profoundly affected and changed the lives of many children and have left them with traumatic physical and psychological consequences. The support of Rönesans Holding allows us to expand psychosocial services in safe spaces to children, adolescents and their caregivers. These partnerships embody "the spirit of solidarity and collective action. With Rönesans Holding, we aim to create a lasting impact on the lives of affected children and their families."

In Malatya, UNICEF and Rönesans created centers for children, adolescents and women, including daycare centers, psychological counseling, youth sports and music centers, social facilities and study spaces.

İpek Ilıcak Kayaalp, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rönesans, who was recently invited to the Business Advisory Board of UNICEF Turkiye, said: "We are happy to collaborate with UNICEF on this critical project, extending our help to those affected by the earthquake. Our Our goal is to ensure that temporary living spaces prioritize the well-being of the most vulnerable segments of our society, with special attention to the needs of women, children and youth. At Rönesans, our goal is to provide not only immediate relief but also an impact to "We are committed to providing assistance and support for years to come after this tragedy, with far-reaching implications for the region and its people."

Aiming to create a sense of community and belonging for all residents, temporary housing spaces built and designed by Rönesans already serve more than 10,000 people in Malatya and Adıyaman, serving as transitional structures to bridge the gap between immediate response and sustained support.

Having worked with many other partners immediately after the earthquake, Rönesans also created safe zones and provided baby care rooms, playgrounds, special educational support for children with disabilities and a children's cinema. In addition to focusing on emergency humanitarian aid during earthquakes with an organized rapid response system that can respond quickly and effectively in times of need, Rönesans will continue to work together with UNICEF, supporting Birlikte Hubs within temporary housing spaces and providing life support. to children and adolescents who survive natural disasters.

Acerca de Rönesans Group

Rönesans Holding, the main investing entity of the Ankara-based conglomerate, is the 38th largest international contracting company in the world and the 9th largest in Europe with international operations in 30 countries in Europe, Central Asia, the East Middle and African, including Ballast Nedam in the Netherlands and Heitkamp in Germany, Rönesans has been successfully operating as a major contractor and investor in the construction, property development, healthcare and energy sectors for 30 years. By putting resilience and growth through innovation at the center of the company, with a priority on sustainability and social development, Rönesans has developed projects that support students with scholarships, platforms and academic initiatives; has been a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact since 2015; and signatory of the UN Women's Empowerment Principles since 2016.

Together with its partners GIC, Meridiam Infrastructure, Sojitz, Samsung C

About UNICEF

UNICEF works in some of the world's toughest places to reach the world's most disadvantaged children. In more than 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.

For more information about UNICEF and its work, visit: www.unicef.org.

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