Türkiye | Earthquakes Operation Update #6 - Emergency Appeal № MDRTR004

ReliefWeb: Updates by Country 09.07.2024 07:11 Country: Türkiye Source: International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies Please refer to the attached file. As per the published on 07 June 2023, this Emergency Appeal seeks a total of CHF 750 million Federation-Wide Funding Requirement, out of which CHF 400 million is funded via the IFRC Secretariat, whereas CHF 350 million is to be funded through Turkish Red Crescent’s domestic fundraising and bilateral contributions. This revised Appeal is currently 38 per cent funded with 151 million CHF in hard pledges. Further funding is needed to enable TRC, with the support of the IFRC, to continue addressing immediate, early recovery and recovery needs for people affected by the earthquake. A. SITUATION ANALYSIS Description of the crisis On 6 February 2023, Türkiye experienced two significant earthquakes with magnitudes of 7.7 and 7.6, striking the south-eastern region and impacting 11 provinces , affecting approximately 16 million people. These twin earthquakes, accompanied by numerous aftershocks, stand as one of the deadliest in the nation's history, leaving behind widespread devastation and profound socio-economic impact. Refer to the graph below to understand the distribution of high-density and high-damage areas across Türkiye following the earthquakes. The earthquakes caused a death toll of over 53,0001, over 107,000 people were injured, and extensive damages were inflicted to vital buildings and infrastructure such as schools, healthcare facilities, and roads. The scale of displacement was unprecedented, with an estimated 3 million people forced to leave their homes. The earthquakes exacerbated the difficulties faced by both refugees and the host communities. The region was home to approximately 13 million people, among which 1.8 million were refugees. After the earthquakes, approximately 3 million people have been displaced and over half a million buildings have been damaged. The road infrastructure in the affected regions has been heavily affected, hindering access to remote villages and districts, especially during the initial days of the disaster. Overall, 17 provinces have been affected by the earthquake, directly impacting an estimated 9.1 million people, according to the assessments by AFAD . The climate and general weather conditions in the earthquake region have exacerbated the difficulties already faced by communities and this is expected to continue in the same way. The winters tend to be quite severe with strong winds, low temperatures, rain, and snow. During spring and fall, heavy rains often lead to flooding. Also, summers tend to be quite intense in the earthquake affected area; temperatures may reach around 45º C, with the humidity level climbing up to 70 per cent. Consequently, the needs of the affected population persist, requiring sustained and dedicated support to be addressed. Since the earthquakes, the most affected cities, such as Hatay and Osmaniye also experienced floods, which impact the quality of life especially in temporary living cites and disrupt infrastructure. Government authorities, working alongside other entities, continue to move impacted communities from temporary container settlements to permanent housing areas. The impact of the earthquakes in some of the main areas on which TRC provides services are as follows: Livelihoods: According to reports from the Government of Türkiye, the 11 provinces affected by the earthquakes contributed 9.8 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product in 2021 by generating around USD 79 million in the national income. In particular, Gaziantep, Adana, and Hatay were the most significant contributors to the national economic growth in 2021. The region's GDP is composed of 8.6 per cent in agriculture, 30.5 per cent in industry, 5.2 per cent in construction, 45.2 per cent in services, and 10.6 per cent in tax subsidies. As of 2021, the earthquake-affected region had 3.8 million employed individuals across 11 provinces, representing 13.3 per cent of the national employment. Out of these, 2.3 million were in formal employment and 1.5 million in informal employment, accounting for around 39 per cent of the total employment in the region. However, the labour participation rates and employment rates were notably lower for women compared to men, and the region also faced unemployment challenges, particularly affecting women’s independent livelihood security. The earthquake had a significant impact on the GDP per capita in the affected regions, with a decline of nine per cent overall. This economic downturn has tangible consequences, impacting the livelihoods of around 658,000 workers and rendering over 220,000 workplaces unusable. Mental Health and Psycho-social Support : Sudden natural disasters affect the mental health of individuals negatively, primarily due to the loss of loved ones, homes, and possessions as well as the overall damage to their lives. Depending on the nature and extent of losses, those directly affected may face from socio-economic difficulties such risk of poverty or discrimination and, the breakdown of social support systems related to family separation, loss of community or traditional support, disrupted social networks. These difficulties can lead to mental health issues including grief, stress reactions, depression and anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder. Additionally emotional and behavioural problems such as sleeping difficulties, anger, hopelessness, irritability and guilt are common. The psychological effects of the disaster are particularly major among vulnerable groups including children, women, older people, refugees, and people with pre-existing mental health conditions. For those groups the loss of resources, daily routine, control over possessions and, social support is linked to heightened levels of acute psychological distress. Furthermore, they often may face additional challenges due to limited language proficiency, physical mobility, cultural differences, and other factors that can impede their access to disaster-relief services and their ability to rebuild their lives and communities. Individuals with pre-existing mental health conditions may encounter exacerbated symptoms, decreased access to regular mental health care, increased stigma, and difficulties in managing their conditions without their usual support systems. In the aftermath of a disaster, pre-existing vulnerabilities exacerbated the direct consequences of the catastrophe. Addressing these needs requires specific, targeted, linguistically and culturally appropriate psychosocial support services, which are essential for recovery.

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