Global crises, natural disasters, and human-induced catastrophes following one after another, making 2023 a trying year for everyone. The Türkiye–Syria earthquakes, the Libya floods, and Israel’s ongoing war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip shook the entire world to its core.
Centered in Kahramanmaraş and wreaking havoc across eleven provinces in Türkiye, the Türkiye–Syria earthquakes on 6 February 2023 marked the most catastrophic natural disaster to hit this part of the world in two millennia. The exhaustion, both physical and psychological, on the faces shows the passionate, if not sometimes silent, struggle to survive. Earthquake victims’ inherent instinct to survive and protect their loved ones helped them make it through the acute period immediately after the disaster. The subsequent phase, characterized by precarity and uncertainty, left them grappling with a deeply challenging psychological state. Rebuilding something from the ground up after it has been destroyed is one of the hardest things for anyone to do, even when one has the support of his community. Yet the damage caused by these now-infamous earthquakes was so massive that entire cities were forced to start anew.
Amid a time of remarkable unity and solidarity in Türkiye, Doctors Worldwide, like so many others who swiftly responded to the earthquake disaster zones, stood shoulder to shoulder on the frontlines of response and recovery efforts. We supported earthquake victims at every step, becoming part of their families and witnessing very difficult and, at time, miraculous moments as we worked tirelessly to help all of our compatriots regain a sense of normalcy in their lives.
We mobilized our many volunteers into medical teams immediately following the first earthquake. Comprising professionals from around Türkiye, these teams were charged with providing urgent care to earthquake victims. Not only were we often times the first to treat people pulled out from under the rubble; we performed live-saving surgeries in severely damaged hospitals. As people dedicated to providing healthcare services, we worked tirelessly to see to the immediate needs of as many sick and injured brothers and sisters of ours as possible.
In addition to the above, we provided much-needed food parcels and hygienic kits to people displaced by the earthquakes. After the acute phase, we set up health support centers in Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Adıyaman, and Malatya where we offered primary healthcare services as part of our long-term recovery efforts. We provided earthquake victims with psychosocial support to help them process the emotional impact of the trauma they experienced. Finally, through our annual Voluntary Qurbani Donation campaign, we distributed meat from animals we slaughtered to those in the disaster zone as well as to afflicted populations in seventeen other countries facing their own humanitarian crises.
Our work in the earthquake disaster zone highlighted the importance of coordination and proper planning in disaster response efforts. While limited resources, adverse physical conditions, breaks in communication and transportation, and inclement weather complicated the situation, we managed to regain a sense of normalcy sooner than we had expected.
While we were still reeling from the harrowing aftermath of our own earthquakes, floods in Libya and earthquakes in Afghanistan reminded us once more just how utterly destructive natural disasters truly are. As we continued to deliver emergency aid to those affected, the staggering loss of tens of thousands of lives highlighted the urgent need to prepare for even greater crises, both within our own borders and around the world.
Before having fully overcome the blows suffered by the aforementioned natural disasters, we began to witness one of the most profound crises of recent years unfold in Palestine’s Gaza Strip. Since 7 October, Israeli attacks have claimed more than forty thousands of lives and left countless others injured. Having been present in Gaza for years before Israel’s most recent assault on the Palestinian people, our team was well positioned to immediately provide emergency healthcare services both in hospitals and on the ground, all while under constant bombardment. Our medical teams treated those who suffered injuries while our mobile units helped distribute life-saving food essentials, hygiene supplies, and baby diapers. Despite the damage to our facilities and the loss of several of our colleagues as a result of the relentless indiscriminate bombing by the Israeli armed forces, we continue to draw on our deep-rooted presence in the region as inspiration to intensify our efforts to heal the scars of war and instill hope in the hearts of an oppressed yet simultaneously courageous population abandoned to its own devices by the majority of the international community.
While 2023 was marked by truly unforgettable images of death, destruction, and carnage, these wars and humanitarian crises remind us of our shared humanity. These events sparked an outpouring of compassion and selflessness that forged an unbreakable sense of unity and solidarity strong enough to overcome even the darkest hour. It was in these shared human experiences and emotions that we were able to find glimmers of solace in the face of such heart-wrenching events, reaffirming in us the profound value of our work and the deep impact that our involvement in the lives of others has on our own life story.
It is our hope that we will have the opportunity to touch the lives of many other people around the world in the years to come.