A WEEK ago, we woke to the news of the devastating and shocking earthquake in Türkiye and Syria.

More than 20,000 people are now known to have lost their lives, and there has been severe damage to homes and infrastructure in both countries.

Charities and front-line organisations estimate that there could be around 17 million people impacted, many of them left without shelter in harsh winter conditions – and there’s no doubt that the devastation caused by the earthquake will be felt for some considerable time to come.

The Scottish Government have committed £500,000 in emergency funding for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) to support the humanitarian aid efforts following the earthquake.

That funding will support those affected with medical care, shelter, food and clean water. Members of our emergency services have also been deployed to help the search and rescue operation and efforts on the ground.

Members of the public can pledge support and make donations to the DEC Appeal in a variety of ways and I would encourage everyone to consider donating to the DEC if they can afford to do so at www.dec.org.uk. I know how tough times are for families across Scotland right now, but the people of Türkiye and Syria desperately need our support.

Closer to home, many people, households and businesses are continuing to suffer real hardship due to the spiralling costs of basic essentials and the rising cost of living.

A new report from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research warns that households in Glasgow and across the United Kingdom could face a £4000 financial hit from the cost of living crisis this year.

The Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that the UK faces a recession that will last for more than a year and the International Monetary Fund suggested last week that Britain will be the only G7 country whose economy is forecast to shrink in 2023.

And, it is predicted that a quarter of households – around seven million across the UK – could be unable to fully meet their planned energy and food bills in the next financial year.

With Westminster causing political and economic chaos, due to constant U-turns on tax policy, ill-judged tax cuts, four UK chancellors in the space of four months and Liz Truss’s disastrous mini-Budget, the Scottish Government remains clear what our priorities are. We are choosing to invest in our economy, and in the people of Scotland.

Financial experts also agree – with a new report from think tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) concluding that Scotland’s tax and benefits system is more progressive than the rest of the UK.

The IFS reports that policies introduced in Scotland since 2017, such as changes to the benefits system and the £25 Scottish Child Payment, have particularly increased the incomes of poorer families with children.

While it’s great to see these fairer policies implemented by the SNP recognised as making a real difference to the lives of ordinary Scots, the UK Government’s financial plans look increasingly bleak and there is no doubt that they are causing, and will continue to cause, significant challenges for us here in Scotland.

We have consistently called on the UK Government to provide additional support with energy costs for vulnerable households.

Prior to the introduction of the energy price guarantee last October, we called for the energy price cap to be frozen, and now we need the UK Government to cancel its proposed rise along with the reduction in support for domestic consumers.

The Scottish Government continue to take the action that we can to support households, including, measures such as the doubling of the fuel insecurity fund to £20 million to help households at risk of self-disconnection or self-rationing their energy use.

However, the key levers to really make a difference when it comes to supporting people through this crisis lie with the UK Government, and we will, of course, continue to press Rishi Sunak to use those levers in the interests of households and businesses across the country.