The earthquakes that struck southeastern Türkiye in February 2023 triggered a crisis that would have deep implications for the entire nation. We at IOM mourned the loss of three of our own colleagues, and many more of our team members and their loved ones were directly affected. Nevertheless, our team demonstrated remarkable resolve in the face of this disaster. We were able to continue our life-saving efforts without experiencing major hang-ups thanks to the Turkish government’s strong leadership and the swift response from IOM donors and member states to our appeal for assistance. In the first nine months following the earthquakes, we delivered more than thirteen million shelters and non-food items to the areas affected in both Türkiye and Syria through our cross-border humanitarian aid program. Our efforts have only intensified as we continue to move forward, albeit with a shift in focus toward long-term recovery to support impacted communities.
Our activities in the field and recovery efforts are grounded in IOM’s Migration Crisis Operational Framework (MCOF), which promotes comprehensive, holistic, and inclusive responses through its humanitarian-development-peace nexus. In our work, we focus on seeing to the needs of two of the most vulnerable groups—migrants and displaced individuals—as they seek to regain a sense of normalcy in the face of ongoing crises. We believe, moreover, that migrants will play a key role in recovery efforts, working hand in hand with local communities to rebuild the places they themselves have come to call home.
IOM is actively involved in six key sectors. As co-chair of the Temporary Settlements Support (TSS) sector within the Inter-Sector Coordination Group, we work in close coordination with our partners on camp coordination and camp management (CCCM) to ensure that communities affected by the earthquakes have access to essential services. We work with authorities to respond to people’s shelter needs, facilitate access to health services, and increase support for water, sanitation, and hygiene. We also provide mental health and psychosocial support to help displaced individuals deal with the risks they face and meet their protection needs. IOM employs its Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) to collect and analyze data in order to implement data- and evidence-driven responses.
The robust supply chain and logistics network we have built after nearly a decade of humanitarian work in southeastern Türkiye enabled us to deliver aid to affected area immediately after the earthquakes. By November 2023, we had supplied more than two thousand portable containers, provided shelter to more than 5,100 people, supported more than 35,200 people through cash-based assistance programs, offered more than fifteen thousand with psychosocial support, and delivered first-tier health services to more than 2,900 individuals.
We strive to provide additional support to affected communities, especially in the areas of food security, healthcare, hygiene, protection, and winter preparedness.
We had the honor of working with the Turkish Red Crescent (TRC) throughout the entire process. Coordinating with TRC, we set up kitchens equipped with the necessary appliances and utensils to prepare people with much-needed hot meals at a time when food was particularly hard to come by.
As we move into the recovery phase, we have supported early recovery and livelihood initiatives by providing cash and in-kind grants to micro, small, and medium-sized businesses. We have leveraged our global expertise to rejuvenate key sectors of the economy through skills development and job matching programs tailored to the specific needs and realities of Turkish citizens and individuals under temporary protection.
Our current efforts focus on developing durable solutions in the provinces hardest hit by the earthquakes. Three strategic priorities inform our work: (i) addressing displacement and creating the conditions that allow people to return to their cities, (ii) urgently generating livelihoods to support economic recovery in affected areas, and (iii) boosting preparedness against future disasters.
We will continue to increase the positive impact that our initiatives have on affected communities. We intend to achieve this by promoting comprehensive coordination across the sector and assuming key leadership roles within UN agencies.
Since August 2023, IOM has co-chaired both the Area-Based Coordination (ABC) Centers and the UN Earthquake Solutions and Mobility Analysis Team (ESMAT) in Türkiye. These initiatives focus on addressing the challenges presented by post-earthquake humanitarian mobility trends and have enabled us to deliver targeted, needs-based activities in the earthquake disaster zone.
On behalf of IOM, I reaffirm our commitment to supporting the Republic of Türkiye’s vision for recovery. Our core belief that safe, orderly, and well-managed human mobility benefits both migrants and local communities will continue to guide us in all of our future endeavors.