Mapping a path to recovery, UNDP urges solidarity with earthquake-hit Türkiye

Presenting a “roadmap for a sustainable recovery,” the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) offered international donors an opportunity to assist the Government and people of Türkiye as they rebuild following the devastating earthquakes in February. The disaster struck an area of 110,000 sq km across southern Türkiye, killing more than 50,000 people, displacing 3.3 million (more than 20 percent of the region’s total population) and destroying more than 301,000 buildings. 

UNDP’s announcement came following an international donor conference in Brussels on 20 March that mobilized US$6.5 billion in support for the earthquake response in Türkiye. 

The conference featured a presentation of the findings of the Türkiye Earthquakes Recovery and Reconstruction Assessment (TERRA), an analysis of the disaster’s financial impact conducted by the Turkish Government with support from UNDP, the UN, the EU and the World Bank. This analysis estimated the total damages and losses caused by the earthquakes at US$103.6 billion. 

“The scope of the destruction is unprecedented,” said UNDP Resident Representative Louisa Vinton. “This is why we expect equally unprecedented commitments from global donors.”

Building on the TERRA findings, UNDP has prepared an offer composed of 31 “build back better” projects for which it is seeking funding as part of recovery and reconstruction efforts that the organization is proposing to implement in Türkiye. Alongside the physical reconstruction of houses and infrastructure, the projects are aimed at restoring livelihoods and social services.

The UNDP offer may be found here.

“Reconstruction is not just about bricks and mortar, but also lives and livelihoods,” said Vinton. “People need secure employment to ensure a steady income; they need public services, such as healthcare and education; they need to be able to shop, relax and socialize with other people. In short, they need to get back to normal life as soon as possible. At UNDP we are already working in the region on projects that put people at the forefront of the recovery and rebuilding efforts.”

The UNDP initiatives targeted for donor consideration also include projects to safeguard cultural heritage as core to local identity and tourism recovery, and to promote safe debris removal and management with resources recycled and reused as reconstruction commences.

Vinton recently completed a trip to the earthquake-hit region, visiting Adiyaman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kahramanmaras, Kilis, Sanliurfa and Samandag, meeting UNDP partner organizations and speaking with local authorities and business leaders on 4-10 March 2023.

For more information: Bahar Paykoç, Communications Associate for UNDP in Türkiye, bahar.paykoc@undp.org