Syrian students at table — Syrian refugee university students in Gaziantep worked with UC Davis researchers to develop the Article 26 Backpack.

Earthquake in Turkey - Backpack is a Critical Resource for Refugee and Displaced Students and Scholars

الزلزال في تركيا - حقيبة الظهر هي مصدر حرج للاجئين والطلاب النازحين والعلماء

by Article 26 Backpack Staff
February 07, 2023

Quick Summary

Backpack is a critical tool for those affected by the earthquake. It is available in Arabic and English. يمكن استخدام حقيبة الظهر باللغتين العربية والإنجليزية

The greatest concentration of Syrian refugees in the world is in the zone of destruction created by this week’s earthquake in Turkey.

Already living on the political and economic margins and often in substandard housing, refugee communities in the region will disproportionately suffer from this natural disaster. At Article 26 Backpack we stand with them and all those harmed by the quake.

We encourage them to use Backpack to secure their critical educational, professional and other critical documents and materials and use it as a way to connect with global higher education and training resources. Using Backpack now is critically important for anyone facing even temporary displacement.

Backpack is available in Arabic.

أهلاً بكم في حقيبة - الأداة العالمية للتنقل الأكاديمي. تمّكن الشباب من التخطيط وبناء مساراتهم المتعلقة بالتعليم العالي والتدريب والوظيفة. مع حقيبة الظهر، يمكنهم أن يخبروا قصصهم المتعلقة بالإنجازات والطموح. في جوهرها، توفر لهم وسيلة لتخزين خلفيتهم التعليميّة وتاريخهم الوظيفي وإنجازاتهم وأهدافهم المهنية بطريقة آمنة ومشاركتهم مع الجامعات ووكالات المنح الدراسية وحتى أرباب العمل. تبني حقيبة الظهر مسارات تواصل وإدماج الجميع، لا سيما اللاجئين والشباب المعرضين للخطر.

QR link to Backpack in Arabic:

This disaster weighs heavily on us at Backpack. In 2014 we conducted extensive research in collaboration with refugee partners in those areas hardest hit: Gaziantep and Antakya and we know that many of the young people with whom we worked come from Northern Syria, including the city of Aleppo, which has yet to be rebuilt since the worst years of the Syrian Civil War.

Some of those young people have begun to return to Syria, while most have remained in Turkey. Among our concerns at Backpack is that refugees will face further discrimination in relief support. In Syria, the civil war is ongoing and this will have an impact on the degree to which assistance will reach all communities.