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Earthquakes in Türkiye
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Thanks to generous people like you, Lutheran World Relief is delivering aid and support to survivors of the earthquakes in Türkiye.
We are bringing our decades of experience responding to humanitarian crises together with the expertise from across our Corus International family to care for children, women and men devastated by the quakes.
The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes and thousands of aftershocks that struck Türkiye (Turkey) on February 6, 2023, have devastated families in the region. According to UNOCHA, more than 9.1 million people were affected, including more than 3 million who had to relocate from their homes. As of April 27, 2023, more than 1.6 million people are sheltering in temporary or short-term housing, including tents, containers, dormitories, hotels, public guesthouses and other facilities.
Emergency Response to date
We have deployed members of our Humanitarian Action team to Türkiye to support response operations and are coordinating with local organizations, UN agencies and other international humanitarian organizations to ensure aid is delivered effectively, without duplication, and meeting most urgent needs.
Our Humanitarian Action conducted rapid assessments in Kilis, Islahiye, Nurdagi and Antakya and found that earthquake survivors are most in need of shelter, food, hygiene supplies, toilets and bathing facilities and basic household items. The needs assessments are informing our response activities.
Our programming is focused in Hatay Province, one of the hardest hit areas.
Response activities:
Providing shelter and support for earthquake survivors whose homes were destroyed or badly damaged: In Kirikhan, a district in Hatay Province extremely hard hit by the quakes, we are supporting the development of a prefabricated container housing community. The units are designed to shelter families for up to three years. This longer-term, secure housing is especially critical for the safety of women and children.
We are supporting at least 35 units in the 500-unit community. Each unit has running water and includes two rooms, a cooking area and a bathroom with a shower and toilet.
Additionally, we are working with our local partner to supply all 500 families living in the container community with emergency hygiene packages and monthly food packages. The hygiene packages are expected to include liquid soap, shampoo, hand and bath soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, toilet paper, wet wipes, feminine hygiene products, dishwashing detergent, laundry detergent, dish sponge, diapers, and nail scissors. The food packages are expected to include sunflower oil, rice, bulgur, lentils, beans, chickpeas, barley noodles, pasta, tea, sugar, ready soup, tomato paste, salt, olives, crackers, tahini, and molasses.
Supplying food, water and essential supplies. We are reaching additional communities in Hatay with distributions of ready-to-eat food, health and hygiene kits, feminine hygiene kits and baby care supplies including diapers, formula, bottles. We are also helping people stay healthy and clean, by supplying clean water, latrines and shower facilities.
Providing psychosocial counseling and protection activities: In short-term and temporary housing camps, we are reaching earthquake survivors with psychosocial support and protection activities, and ensuring women and children have safe spaces to access this support.
Senior Director for Humanitarian Operations, Fred McCray, on the situation in Türkiye and Syria
