7.8 Earthquake Emergency Response in Turkey& Syria

Developments

6 months have passed since the 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes center in Kahramanmaras, which affected 11 provinces. In its latest statement, the Ministry of Interior stated that the highest number of casualties occurred in Hatay and that 50,783 people lost their lives in all regions. The number of migrants who lost their lives in the region was announced as 7302. The debris removal works in Kahramanmaras, Hatay and Adiyaman, which are the provinces with the most destruction, have now come to an end. While the city centers where thousands of people live have been replaced by quiet squares, there are now empty lands in place of the destroyed buildings.

In this process, projects to provide disaster victims with a warm home continue to be realised one after another. Construction of 536 thousand 729 permanent houses is underway for 11 cities hit by the earthquake. It is aimed to build 82 thousand 104 new houses in Kahramanmaras, the center of the earthquake, and 220 thousand 66 new houses in Hatay. Support works have also accelerated for the tradesmen who were severely injured in the earthquakes. The construction of 3 thousand 400 workplaces was handed over to the tradesmen of the earthquake-hit region.

North Syria Following the 2023 Kahramanmaras Earthquakes, IBC continues to provide emergency assistance in different health specialties to the communities affected by the devastating effects of the earthquake in North Syria, simultaneously with the emergency humanitarian aid support provided in different provinces and in accordance with our national policies.

In this direction, IBC will be the first and only Turkish NGO that provides support to certain medical branches, especially to inpatient hospitals, in addition to emergency humanitarian aid areas, with its donor, Action Medeor. The process we have determined as Phase 2, will continue until 31.12.2024 and will include physiotherapy and psychosocial support services in Azaz Watan Hospital, supported by the Turkish Republic Ministry of Health, in the Euphrates Shield Region.

IBC Syria team continues to visit the tent camps in the region as part of the mobile clinic project. In the last weeks, the team visited Qatar Village, Al Hadath Camp, Sosnbat Camp, Tadiff Village, and Tadif Camp. Within the scope of the Mobile Clinic Project, the Community Health teams have provided support to 874 patients as of this week. Among them, 538 patients received outpatient treatment, 212 patients were treated in the non-communicable disease clinic, and 124 patients received treatment at the Sexual Health / Reproductive Health Clinics.

Additionally, the health center in Dabiq is still operational. This week; 1,012 patients received treatment at Dabiq Health Center, and 21 patients were provided services through evacuations conducted with the help of IBC ambulances. Moreover, 97 patients have completed their treatment at the dental clinic. Within the scope of the newly started physical therapy and psychological support project, screenings have started and a total of 173 patients have been reached with dialysis patient transfers

Links:

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26zww758dO0

In Turkey:

IBC is continuing its emergency response efforts in the earthquake-affected areas in collaboration with AFAD, the Turkish Red Crescent, municipalities, governorates, and all relevant stakeholders. The Blue Crescent Foundation operates in eight regions in Turkey, namely Adyaman, Gaziantep, Hatay, Izmir, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Malatya, and Sanlurfa, as well as in five camps in El-Bab in northwest Syria, including operations in Azaz camps and villages, including the pre-earthquake office. As of April, IBC has completed the establishment of three community centers, child-friendly spaces, and one mother-child care center in the earthquake-affected areas.

IBC serves over 2,000 hot meals daily through the mobile kitchens it has set up in the region. Regular hot meal distributions will continue in Islahiye container cities, Kredi Yurtlar Kurumu, Fevzipasa district, camp construction sites, and tent cities in Kirikhan / Hatay where access to hot meals is limited. Among the most vulnerable groups affected by the earthquake, children undoubtedly hold the top priority. IBC provides clothing, health assistance (including medication and mobile medical services), hygiene materials, baby diapers, and formula support for newborns, children under the age of three, and school-age children.

The aim is to meet the needs of children of all age groups and prevent potential risks such as secondary and tertiary health issues, hygiene problems, and delayed or stunted development. The container houses in Kirikhan/Hatay are provided through partnerships of IBC with Caritas, Conrad Hilton Foundation, Corus International, King Baudouin Foundation, IDRF Canada, Muslim Charity, World Jewish Relief, and World Vision. Good Neighbors International supports child-friendly spaces and psychosocial activity areas. IBC extends its gratitude to all its partners for their support, on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries.

In North West Syria: 

IBC's Syria team continued their visits to tent camps within the scope of the mobile clinic project this week. The camps visited included Qatar Village, Al Hadath Camp, Sosnbat Camp, Tadiff Village, and Tadif Camp. Community health teams reached a total of 1,568 individuals in the camps visited this week, and 45 patients were transferred to hospitals with ambulances coordinated by IBC.

In addition, work continues at the Dabiq Health Center. This week, services were provided for 1,691 patients with the transfers made by IBC ambulances in Dabiq.

Through the collaboration between IBC and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the project has reached 3,259 beneficiaries so far. In the Soran region, infrastructure work has begun for a storage system with a clean water production capacity of approximately 100 tons in cooperation with MSF.

Links:

• CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION FROM IZMIR GOVERNORATE TO IBC

• IBCSitrep23__18_May_2023_1.pdf (PDF)