Volunteer efforts are given the most airtime immediately following a disaster. This heightened attention, along with compelling images of human suffering, drives a surge in individuals volunteering their own services to help their fellow man. Communities in disaster-stricken areas are particularly vulnerable and require urgent assistance. This acute need sparks a powerful sense of responsibility in volunteers to rebuild affected areas and help alleviate the trauma wrought by the disaster. When it comes to post-disaster relief efforts, volunteers typically participate in essential services, such as distributing food and supplies, clearing debris, providing emotional support to disaster victims, and assisting with medical and rescue operations. It goes without saying that volunteers play a crucial role in recovery and rehabilitation efforts. This phenomenon can be attributed to various factors. Feelings of solidarity intensify and a unified spirit takes hold immediately after a disaster, which leads to a spike in people volunteering offering their assistance in relief efforts. People are motivated to offer whatever form of aid and assistance they can upon witnessing the extensive destruction caused by the disaster. Another important factor is that the media makes frequent appeals for volunteers and encourages individuals to donate their time and skills to relief efforts. Finally, the upsurge in solidarity and compassion precipitated by the disaster precipitates brings out the best sides of people, who come together to provide both material and moral support to each other in the face of such difficult hardships. This is evident not only in the stories of countless volunteers who have worked selflessly to bring hope and stability to disaster-stricken communities but also in the extant corpus of literature that corroborates volunteers’ crucial roles in rehabilitation efforts.
Research has found that volunteers not only bridge the gaps left by official response efforts and support the subsequent long-term recovery activities. It is also important to remember that volunteers may not have had prior knowledge of post-disaster volunteer work and may have therefore only coincidently found themselves involved in voluntary relieve and recovery efforts. This underscores the need for proactive outreach and education to attract potential volunteers. The literature also discusses how volunteers can strengthen a country’s emergency management capacity, specifically in risk communication and early warning systems. This highlights the importance of utilizing volunteers to maximize humanitarian access and the reach of relief efforts in high-exposure areas. Various studies have examined the roles played by volunteers in disaster response operations, including in healthcare settings. Specialized volunteers, such as nurses, bring valuable knowledge and skills that support disaster response initiatives. Similarly, volunteers have been shown to be able to address a wide range of needs for affected individuals. For instance, volunteer psychiatrists have proven effective in providing psychological support to survivors after disasters. That said, however, one must acknowledge that the presence of volunteers can present potential challenges to post-disaster responses. While volunteers are undoubtedly invaluable assets, unaffiliated or “spontaneous” volunteers who appear at disaster sites can unwittingly impede response efforts. It is therefore important to clearly outline volunteers’ roles, responsibilities, and required training to ensure that they are able to participate in response operations effectively. In short, while volunteer work both during and after disasters is indeed an indispensable component of emergency management, ensuring volunteer participation through proactive social outreach, proper training, and clear job descriptions, as well as providing volunteers with ongoing supporting as they work in the field, will go a long way to help maximize the effectiveness of long-term recovery efforts.
The need for aid and assistance generally intensifies immediately following a disaster. Volunteers bolster post-disaster recovery initiatives by bringing valuable resources and innovative techniques to the table. They not only participate in search and rescue operations, administer medical aid, distribute supplies, and provide victims emotional support but also assist in reconstruction efforts. None of these would be as effective if volunteers were not generous with their time, skills, and energy. Unburdened by bureaucratic restrictions that can delay official responses, volunteers often find themselves able to mobilize more quickly and provide immediate assistance to affected communities. Indeed, it is their flexibility and ability to adapt to rapidly changing situations that make volunteers invaluable assets in the field.
While volunteer work tends to focus more on response efforts than on disaster mitigation, preparedness, or recovery, it should by no means be confined to the response phase alone. Indeed, it is crucial that volunteers realize their potential in all phases of emergency management, including mitigation, preparedness, and recovery. Communities can benefit of volunteers’ unique perspectives, skills, and expertise when they are involved at the early phases of emergency management. Volunteers can play a crucial role in disaster risk reduction by raising public awareness and encouraging people to attend workshops on how to reduce the risks posed by disasters. They can conduct community surveys to identify vulnerabilities and weak points, help design and build more resilient infrastructure, and establish early warning systems to minimize potential risks.
As it pertains to preparedness, volunteers can assist in developing and implementing emergency plans, conducting drills and simulations, and disseminating important information to the public. During the recovery phase, volunteers can support affected individuals and communities by joining cleanup and reconstruction efforts, providing emotional support, and helping restore crucial services and infrastructure. Volunteering in disaster management operations benefits not only disaster victims but also volunteers themselves. Through their involvement, volunteers acquire valuable skills and experience that will have a lasting impact on personal and professional lives. The difference that they make in the lives of others instills in them a profound sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. The work carried out by volunteers during such times of great need can foster a sense of unity and resilience in communities, as individuals from all walks of life come together to support one another. Indeed, the potential of volunteer work at each phase of emergency management must not only be recognized but also properly leveraged in order to improve community resilience and increase the effectiveness of disaster response efforts.
In sum, the work of volunteers is vital to every phase of emergency management, whether it be disaster mitigation, preparedness, response, or recovery. Involving volunteers in every phase of the process not only cultivates a stronger sense of unity and resilience within communities but also provides them access to a broader range of skills and expertise that can be used to create more robust emergency plans.
Volunteer Work in the Wake of the Türkiye–Syria Earthquakes: Social Solidarity and Reconstruction Efforts
Earthquakes are indisputably the most destructive type of natural disaster facing the Republic of Türkiye. The Global Seismic Hazard Map indicates that ninety-two percent of Türkiye lies on active fault lines. Although the country is also prone to flooding, landslides, avalanches, and wildfires, the destructive impact of earthquakes far surpasses that of all other events. The country’s location on active seismic zones means that Türkiye will continue to experience earthquakes throughout her future, with at least one event measuring between Mw 5 and 6 occurring on average annually. In addition to causing significant economic loss, Türkiye experiences the third highest number of earthquake-related fatalities globally. While efforts to minimize the impact of earthquakes continue unabated, Türkiye has yet to fully integrate volunteers into every phase of the disaster management process despite the benefits doing so offers.
Volunteer work in 2023 was concentrated in Türkiye’s southeastern provinces following the series of catastrophic earthquakes that struck Kahramanmaraş and Hatay. Countless state and non-state organizations—both domestic and international—rushed to the disaster area following the Mw 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on 6 February 2023. Despite this, however, the sheer magnitude of these earthquakes, aptly dubbed the Disaster of the Century (i.e., Asrın Felâketi) in Turkish, quickly overwhelmed public resources and manpower, thus necessitating a general mobilization of the nation’s population. Volunteers, both affiliated and unaffiliated with specific organizations (i.e., spontaneous volunteers), made up the lion’s share of people who responded to this call. Prior to 6 February, Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (known by the acronym AFAD) employed a total of 624,000 volunteers, 35,409 of whom were deployed in earthquake zones. This number more than doubled to 1,390,000 immediately following these earthquakes, as people eagerly sought to volunteer in whatever capacity they could. While the greater majority of these volunteers were in fact public servants, members from every segment of society took part in civilian search and rescue efforts alongside more than eleven thousand professionals arriving from ninety countries.
Volunteers worked tirelessly to set up temporary shelters, distributed essential supplies, and provided support to afflicted families. Volunteers sorted, packaged, and loaded food, water, and clothing onto trucks, which they then personally delivered to earthquake victims. This spirit of solidarity was so profound that ordinary citizens opened their homes to displaced families. As part of the campaign “Let My House Be Your Home” (i.e., Evim Yuvan Olsun), for instance, charitable individuals welcomed earthquake victims into their homes and supported them until they secured permanent housing. As a result of this and other grassroots initiatives, a total of 1,327,915 earthquake victims found accommodation in different types of homes throughout Türkiye. Volunteers played a central role in providing earthquake victims psychosocial support, helping them cope with the trauma and stress of having lived through such a catastrophic disaster. They mentored students preparing for exams, helped clear debris and environmental hazards, and partook in reconstruction efforts. The Third Sector Foundation of Türkiye (known by the acronym TÜSEV) shared its observational notes on earthquakes to support individuals and NGOs engaged in disaster relief efforts. Likewise, both AFAD and TRC enhanced their digital systems to integrate volunteers into disaster management activities more effectively.
TRC launched its Digital Volunteerism project in July of 2023, focusing initially on psychology and later expanding to include education and communication. This project provided a platform for qualified professionals to share their expertise in these fields. Experienced volunteer psychologists offered free online therapy sessions to earthquake survivors as part of this project. In addition to this, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) released a catalogue in March outlining proposals for the 2023 Post-Earthquake Recovery and Reconstruction Project.
Held annually on 5 December, International Volunteer Day focused on earthquakes this year. TRC honored individuals who went above and beyond the call of duty during post-earthquake relief efforts by displaying acts of kindness with Red Vest International Volunteer Awards. Similarly, Türkiye’s National Volunteer Committee, Ministry of Youth and Sports, and various other organizations centered their activities on earthquake-related themes for International Volunteer Day.
Disasters, especially earthquakes, shaped volunteer activities throughout 2023. Specialists unanimously agree that volunteers are integral to the success of any disaster management plan relies and that their exclusion undermines its effectiveness. The real challenge, however, lies in determining how to appropriately integrate volunteers into disaster management before, during, and after a disaster. Given the cultural context, decision-makers in Türkiye are recommended to devise and implement long-term strategies that specifically address this issue. The February earthquakes not only reaffirmed that volunteering is a core value in Turkish society but also highlighted the need to formalize it so as to take full advantage of the benefits it offers.
1 Carlton, S., Nissen, S., ve Wong, J. (2021). A crisis volunteer ‘sleeper cell’: An emergent, extending and expanding disaster response organisation. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 30(4), 391–400. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5973.12381
Gurung, S., Wali, N., Simmons, O., ve Georgeou, N. (2019). The emergence of volunteerism in a post-disaster context: A systematic scoping study literature review. Third Sector Review, 25(2), 57-89.
Saputro, K. A. (2016). Information volunteers’ strategies in crisis communication. International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, 7(1), 63–72. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijdrbe-07-2013-0027
Whittaker, J., McLennan, B., ve Handmer, J. (2015). A review of informal volunteerism in emergencies and disasters: Definition, opportunities and challenges. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 13, 358–368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2015.07.010
Zhu, Y., Zhuang, J., Liu, B., Liu, H., Ren, J., ve Zhao, M. (2022). The moderating effect of COVID-19 risk perception on the relationship between empathy and COVID-19 volunteer behavior: a Cross-Sectional study in Jiangsu, China. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.863613
2 Nissen, S., Carlton, S., ve Wong, J. H. (2022). Supporting Volunteer Well- Being Through Disaster: Perspectives and Practices of a Youth-Led Informal Crisis volunteer group. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 52(3), 704– 722. https://doi.org/10.1177/08997640221113882
3 Christensen, S., ve Wagner, L. D. (2022). Disaster Relief Nurses: Exploring the impetus to respond to multiple efforts. Nursing Science Quarterly, 35(2), 244–255. https://doi.org/10.1177/08943184211070575
4 Al-Mueed, M., Chawdhery, M. R. A., Harera, E., Alhazmi, R. A., Mobrad, A., Althunayyan, S. M., ve Al-Wathinani, A. M. (2021). Potential of community volunteers in flood early warning dissemination: A case study of Bangladesh. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(24), 13010. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413010
5 Satoh, M., Iwamitsu, H., Yamada, E., Kuribayashi, Y., Yamagami-Matsuyama, T., ve Yamada, Y. (2018). Disaster nursing knowledge and competencies among nursing university students participated in relief activities following the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes. SAGE Open Nursing, 4, 237796081880491. https://doi.org/10.1177/2377960818804918
6 Bae, S. M., Lee, M., Kim, E., Kim, J., Lee, J., Hwang, J., Chang, H. Y., Lee, C. S., Park, J., ve Bhang, S. (2019). Mental Health Interventions Provided by Volunteer Psychiatrists after the Sewol Ferry Disaster: April 16–November 30, 2014. Psychiatry Investigation, 16(7), 513–523. https://doi.org/10.30773/pi.2019.04.30 Pandya, A., Katz, C. L., Smith, R. P., Ng, A., Tafoya, M., Holmes, A., ve North, C. S. (2010). Services Provided by Volunteer Psychiatrists after 9/11 at the New York City Family Assistance Center: September 12–November 20, 2001. Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 16(3), 193–199. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.pra.0000375717.77831.83
7 Veenema, T. G., Griffin, A., Gable, A. R., MacIntyre, L. M., Simons, R. N., Couig, M. P., Walsh, J. J., Lavin, R. P., Dobalian, A., ve Larson, E. (2016). Nurses as Leaders in Disaster Preparedness and Response—A Call to action. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 48(2), 187–200. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.12198
8 Fulmer, T., Portelli, I., Foltin, G. L., Zimmerman, R., Chachkes, E., ve Goldfrank, L. R. (2007). Organization-based incident management: developing a disaster volunteer role on a university campus. Disaster Management & Response. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dmr.2007.06.001
9 Saputro, K. A. (2016). Information volunteers’ strategies in crisis communication. International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, 7(1), 63–72. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijdrbe-07-2013-0027
10 Zhu, Y., Zhuang, J., Liu, B., Liu, H., Ren, J., ve Zhao, M. (2022). The moderating effect of COVID-19 risk perception on the relationship between empathy and COVID-19 volunteer behavior: a Cross-Sectional study in Jiangsu, China. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.863613
11 Carlton, S., Nissen, S., ve Wong, J. (2021). A crisis volunteer ‘sleeper cell’: An emergent, extending and expanding disaster response organisation. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 30(4), 391–400. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-5973.12381
12 Cumhurbaşkanlığı İletişim Başkanlığı. (2023). 06 Şubat 2023 Kahramanmaraş depremleri asrın felaketi. Yazar. https://www.iletisim.gov.tr/images/uploads/dosyalar/Asrin-Felaketi-TR.pdf
13 Akgün, T., ve Ballı, A. (2023, 31 Mart). Deprem felaketi sonrası AFAD gönüllü sayısı ikiye katlandı. Anadolu Ajansı. https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/asrin-felaketi/deprem-felaketi-sonrasi-afad-gonullu-sayisi-ikiye-katlandi/2860144
14 TÜSEV. (2023). Kahramanmaraş depremleri ve sivil toplum gözlem notları I. https://tusev.org.tr/usrfiles/images/DepremGozlem1TR.pdf
15 UNDP. (2023, 27 March). Recovery and reconstruction after the 2023 earthquakes in Turkiye. https://www.undp.org/turkiye/publications/recovery-andreconstruction-after-2023-earthquakes-turkiye-undp-project-catalogue
16 Türk Kızılay. (2023, 4 Aralık). Gönüllülük hikayeleriyle kalpleri ısıtanlara Kızılay’dan ödül. https://www.kizilay.org.tr/Haber/HaberDetay/7555