Six months after the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria millions still in dire need

By Simon D. Kist , 6 August 2023

Today marks six months since the tragic earthquakes of February 6 in Turkey and Northwest Syria caused nearly 60,000 deaths, thousands of injuries, and massive damage to infrastructure.  As the humanitarian situation across the earthquake affected region remains dire, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is calling for urgent support to affected communities still reeling from the monumental impacts of the disaster.

Although recovery efforts are well under way and the rescue phase of the earthquake response has concluded, the emergency situation persists as the earthquakes have had an immeasurable impact, leading to the loss of thousands of lives and affecting millions more.

On February 6, 2023, two of the strongest earthquakes in the region in more than 100 years, of 7.8 and 7.7 magnitude, occurred in southeastern Turkey followed by thousands of aftershocks. At least 18 million people have been directly affected by the devastating earthquakes that killed at least 59,259 women, men, and children and injured more than 110,000 in Turkey and Syria. 

Six months after the devastating earthquakes, infrastructure and services remain critically affected. Millions have been impacted by the massive loss of livelihoods and assets. 

In Turkey, more than 9.1 million people, who have been directly impacted by the disaster, are in need of humanitarian assistance, including 4 million children. According to Turkish authorities, the number of people who lost their lives in Turkey is at least 50,783. Among those killed, more than 7,300 were refugees. Turkey is the largest refugee hosting country in the world.

Up to 107,000 women, men, and children were injured.  Some 3 million people were displaced by the earthquakes and around 300,000 buildings were completely destroyed. More than 80 percent of those displaced by the earthquakes reside in temporary shelters. As of to June, 2.4 million people in the earthquake zone are living in temporary shelters. 

An estimated 1.6 million people, half of them women and girls, are living in informal settlements and around 800,000 in formal settlements. The Turkish Government is currently relocating people from temporary shelters, such as tents or containers, to formal camps to facilitate humanitarian assistance. 

As of August, United Nations agencies have reached over 6 million people across the earthquake region in support of recovery efforts and ongoing humanitarian needs.  The UN country team along with UN agencies are now supporting the Turkish Government’s recovery efforts “to build back better and leave no one behind”.

"We have seen astounding resilience in communities, but people still find themselves stuck in a very difficult situation," said Ruben Cano, IFRC Head of Delegation in Turkey, this week.

"Many people in Turkey -- particularly those who lost their homes and income -- are still struggling with their day-to-day needs, including paying for food, rent and other necessities. A 'normal' life is still far from reach."

According to the IFRC, many people are falling deeper into debt to help cover their needs while they recover and build back income sources. More than 50 percent of families supported by the Turkish Red Crescent are taking on new debts after the earthquakes as the country battles inflation and a drastic increase in prices.

In Syria, particularly the northwest of the country, the reality for many people is even worse: the effects of the earthquake, coupled with more than 12 years of conflict, have made reconstruction an extremely difficult task. 8.8 million people in Syria have been directly affected by the devastating earthquakes and require humanitarian aid.

At least 8,476 people lost their lives in Syria, over 2,248 earthquake-related deaths were recorded in government held areas.

In Northwest Syria, the earthquakes have added a crisis on top of a crisis. Before the earthquakes hit, at least 4.1 million people there relied on humanitarian aid to meet their most basic needs. The earthquakes killed at least 4,547 people, injured over 10,000 in rebel held areas, and damaged more than 10,000 buildings.  The cities of Aleppo, Latakia and Hama are the centers most affected. 

The worsening economic situation is plunging already vulnerable communities deeper into hardship and uncertainty. High temperatures and recurrent heatwaves continue to put lives at risk, including the 2 million people living in camps in northwest Syria. Some 800,000 people living in tents, often in overcrowded conditions, are especially vulnerable to extreme temperatures.

"The rescue phase of the earthquake response may have concluded, but the emergency situation persists," said Mads Brinch Hansen, IFRC Head of Delegation in Syria. 

"Immediate international support is needed right now, both to meet immediate humanitarian needs, as well as to build people's resilience and rehabilitate vital infrastructure and community services, which are on the brink of collapse."

The Syrian conflict is one of the largest and most complex humanitarian crises worldwide. The crisis continues to cause tremendous human suffering to people both inside and outside the country. Overall, 15.3 million people – or 70 percent of the population – need some form of humanitarian assistance in Syria. 

Twelve years of conflict in Syria have led to one of the two largest displacement crises in the world, with more than 12.6 million people fleeing their homes. While 6.9 million women, men and children are internally displaced in their own country, the ongoing civil war has resulted in more than 5.7 million Syrian refugees, located mostly in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.

Further information

Full text: Türkiye and Syria earthquakes: Six months on, IFRC calls for urgent support to meet immense ongoing needs, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), press release, published August 3, 2023
https://www.ifrc.org/press-release/turkiye-and-syria-earthquakes-six-months-ifrc-calls-urgent-support-meet-immense
 


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