Anniversary of the February 6 earthquakes and the UN response

United Nations stands in solidarity with Türkiye on the anniversary of the February 6 earthquakes. The UN and its agencies have been on the ground since day one to support Türkiye’s earthquake response. Today, we continue our strong commitment to assist recovery efforts. Our work in the region has been wide-ranging and significant progress has been made.

February 6 earthquakes in southern Türkiye caused over 50.000 deaths in 11 provinces.

Following the humanitarian phase, UN Türkiye and UN agencies in Türkiye are now supporting the Turkish government’s recovery efforts to build back better and leave no one behind.

The work of United Nations agencies touches the lives of people in the earthquake region in various ways.

As of 26 January, UN agencies reached over 7 million people across the earthquake region in support of recovery efforts and ongoing humanitarian needs. Those efforts included food assistance, hygiene kits, container houses, school supplies, empowerment of women, psycho-social support, reproductive health supplies, Cash for Work program with ISKUR, providing cash and in-kind grants to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, assistance in the form of animal feed, fertilizer, agricultural equipment, seeds, and seedlings. 

UN Türkiye agencies are also supporting registration and data updates for those in need of international protection, cash support to 123,000 most vulnerable households, ensuring the continuity of health services for displaced populations, providing containers to major museums for temporary protection of at-risk collections, Earthquake Response and Recovery Plan (ERRP), aiming to provide support to 700,000 rural residents in 11 provinces affected by the earthquake and rebuilding more than 2000 schools, benefiting nearly one million children. More than 1.3 million children have been reached with immunization services and vaccines.

Our contributions also included sanitation units, establishment of "tent cities" by purchasing and delivering 8,700 emergency relief items, along with locally produced containers and essential furniture to ensure the continuity of services for the Turkish Employment Agency (ISKUR) in Adıyaman, Hatay, and Kahramanmaraş.

In waste and debris management, enhanced efforts were exerted in designated provinces, delivering over US$3 million worth of equipment, including street-sweepers, garbage trucks and waste-bins.

For livelihood restoration, US$10 million in cash grants were allocated.

To help restore the region's cultural heritage and revitalize heritage-based livelihoods, a "Save the Legacy" crowdfunding campaign was launched. To provide immediate protection, containers to safeguard collections in major museums and supplied cameras and drones to aid in documenting damaged cultural heritage assets were provided.  

Provided lifesaving sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services including safe motherhood and menstrual hygiene management and gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response services as well as psychosocial support were also part of our work in the region.

The earthquakes impacted a region of more than 15 million people living in 11 provinces, 1.75 million of whom are refugees and we worked to responding to the urgent needs of all survivors, both Turkish citizens and refugees who lived side by side in the same collapsed buildings.

Establishment of 25 Mobile Storage Units (MSUs), the setup of 7 mobile kitchens, and the distribution of containers to municipalities.

The largest Emergency Medical Team (EMT) operation in the UN history was established in the earthquake region.

Below is a compilation of the work of the UN Agencies in support of the Turkish government’s recovery efforts:

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Türkiye

Following the earthquakes on February 6th that significantly impacted 11 provinces in Türkiye, vital for crop, horticulture, forestry, fisheries, livestock, and dairy production, the FAO has been working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MoAF) and other partners to assess and respond to the needs of the agricultural sector. The affected region, a part of the Fertile Crescent, is instrumental to Türkiye's agricultural GDP, contributing a diverse range of crops and playing a crucial role in the food processing industry.

The initial assessments have shown extensive damage to agricultural infrastructure, significant loss of livestock shelters and animals, and disruptions in supply chains. In response, the FAO and MoAF developed the Earthquake Response and Recovery Plan (ERRP), valued at USD 112 million, aimed at supporting around 700 000 people in the affected areas. The ERRP, further explained, focuses on restoring agrifood systems, revitalizing agricultural labor markets, and empowering rural communities.

To aid this effort, the FAO has allocated about $530.000 in agricultural inputs to 2530 beneficiaries and provided about $594.000 in unconditional cash support to 1931 farmer households. Additionally, 145 beneficiaries affected by the earthquake were provided with 3 months of short-term employment in public services in rural areas and approximately 160,000 USD were paid under the cash for work programme.

These initiatives align with the comprehensive strategies recommended in the Agriculture Sector Needs Assessment for Earthquake-Impacted Provinces, highlighting the necessity of support in inputs, reconstruction, and inclusive recovery for a sustainable agricultural sector. In addition to these interventions, the sustainability of the 885 smallholders is supported through the enhancement of their technical skills, encompassing climate-smart agriculture and best practices in agriculture, facilitated through Farmer Field Schools.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) Türkiye

The ILO acknowledges the profound impact of the February 6, 2023 earthquakes on regions such as Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, Hatay, and more. In response, the ILO Office for Türkiye orchestrated a comprehensive strategy, mapping short, mid, and long-term actions to address the pressing needs of the affected areas. Immediately following the earthquakes, the ILO provided extensive support, delivering firsthand aid, emergency and sanitation supplies, and establishing two Social Support Centres in Hatay and Adıyaman for psychosocial assistance. Additionally, the Office facilitated the provision of 300 sanitation units in areas with emergency centers.

The ILO's commitment extended to the establishment of "tent cities" by purchasing and delivering 8,700 emergency relief items, along with locally produced containers and essential furniture to ensure the continuity of services for the Turkish Employment Agency (ISKUR) in Adıyaman, Hatay, and Kahramanmaraş. Notably, this effort contributed to the expansion of social good initiatives by ISKUR for earthquake survivors. Ongoing psycho-social support, provided by the ILO's partners and service providers like the Pikolo Association and Genç Hayat Foundation, Peace Therapist reached over 3,400 individuals, including refugees, addressing mental health needs in multiple languages.

The ILO's proactive engagement included the launch of the "Safe Space Project" in collaboration with the Federation of Women Associations of Türkiye (TKDF), focusing on creating a secure environment for women and children in Hatay. This initiative, operating through a Safe Space for Women and Children (WCSS), offered psychosocial support, counseling, and capacity-building programs. With a total funding of nearly $2 million by the end of 2023, the ILO demonstrated its commitment to sustainable recovery, including Cash for Work programs and support for job creation via the Work-Based Learning (ISMEP) program. Furthermore, the ILO's collaboration with the IOM on a research project signifies its dedication to evidence-based strategies for the recovery of labor markets in the earthquake-affected area.

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Türkiye

IOM's work is anchored on the belief that migrants and displaced people should receive the support they need and that they have a key role to play in the recovery process, working alongside local communities.

IOM plays an active role in six sectors, including leading the Temporary Settlement Support (TSS) Sector, which coordinates site management and referral of affected people to basic services. IOM works closely with authorities to enhance access to shelter, health, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), protection and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services. Overall, IOM's assistance is evidence-based – informed by rigorous data collection and analysis carried out through IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) tool.

IOM's strong supply chain and logistics network, built through nearly a decade of humanitarian work in Türkiye's southeast, enabled a swift response to the earthquakes. In 2023, IOM and partners assisted over 800,000 people with non-food items, over 650,000 with shelter, over 39,000 with multipurpose cash, and over 155,000 with healthcare services and over 17,000 with psychosocial support.

IOM contributes to inter-agency coordination, including co-leading the UN’s Earthquake Solutions and Mobility Analysis Team (ESMAT), which informs joint analysis and prioritisation of response. IOM further supports Area-Based Coordination (ABC) through hosting four hub-coordinators and co-chairing the Gaziantep-based ABC. The ABC drives area-specific, needs-responsive interventions and effective engagement with local counterparts.

Shifting toward the recovery phase, IOM's work is guided by three strategic priorities: 1) Addressing post-earthquake mobility and creating conditions for returns, 2) Leveraging mobility and emergency livelihood for economic recovery, and 3) Increasing preparedness for future disasters. IOM is contributing to early recovery and livelihoods efforts by providing cash and in-kind grants to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and is leveraging its global expertise to help re-boost the economy in key industries, through upskilling and labour skill matching for Turkish citizens and individuals under temporary protection.

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Türkiye

UNDP's prompt engagement in earthquake response has been focused on swift measures for the region's recovery, prioritizing a return to normalcy for affected communities. Providing support to government agencies, municipalities and local NGOs in the hardest-hit Turkish provinces, UNDP's recovery efforts concentrate on four key areas: restoring care services for vulnerable groups, improving waste and debris management, restoring livelihoods and business activity, and protecting endangered cultural heritage.

In the realm of care services, UNDP has undertaken comprehensive initiatives, including the reconstruction of care infrastructure, implementation of psychosocial support programs, and capacity building and institutionalization initiatives. The delivery of mobile care vehicles and construction of temporary care centers with funding from the United Kingdom, have supported the elderly and individuals with disabilities.

Collaborating with the Turkish Psychologists Association, UNDP implemented a Psychosocial Support Module for 200 women not in employment, education, or training (NEET) affected by the earthquakes, providing face-to-face support in Adana, Diyarbakır, and Izmir. Additionally, a psychosocial support program was launched for 3,000 workers in the textile industry.

In waste and debris management, UNDP enhanced efforts in designated provinces, delivering over US$3 million worth of equipment, including streetsweepers, garbage trucks and wastebins. Mobile toilet and shower units were provided to temporary settlements, and a dust abatement system was implemented in Adıyaman. With funding from the Government of Japan, pilot rubble recycling facilities were also initiated in Hatay and Kahramanmaraş.

For livelihood restoration, UNDP allocated US$10 million in cash grants, funded by Sweden, to 4,616 small businesses, playing a pivotal role in local economic recovery. Vocational training programs for over 1,200 earthquake survivors equipped them with skills for employment opportunities, contributing to the overall revival of business activity.

To help restore the region's cultural heritage and revitalize heritage-based livelihoods, UNDP launched the "Save the Legacy" crowdfunding campaign. To provide immediate protection, UNDP delivered containers to safeguard collections in major museums and supplied cameras and drones to aid in documenting damaged cultural heritage assets.  

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Türkiye 

After the devastating earthquakes struck Türkiye in February 2023, UNFPA in coordination with the Government of Türkiye, was on the ground from day 1 and mobilized its staff, resources and partners.

UNFPA has provided lifesaving sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services including safe motherhood and menstrual hygiene management and gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response services as well as psychosocial support.

With generous support from our donors and committed partners, we reached over 134,000 most vulnerable individuals including women and girls, young people, people with disabilities, with the SRH and GBV services in the affected areas.

14 new service delivery units (static and mobile) were set up in addition to 7 humanitarian service units, already operating in the region before the earthquake.

36,000 dignity and maternity kits were distributed to women and girls.

Knowing that communities can lead change, we worked with 55 CSOs operating in the earthquake region as allies to prevent child, early and forced marriages.

To recover the SRH and GBV service provision capacity in the earthquake affected region, UNFPA capacitated more than 3000 service providers on SRH and GBV in emergencies In addition, national efforts were strengthened through the 29 mobile and static units for SRH and GBV services. 31 metric tons of RH kits were handed to public authorities to serve a population of 1 million.

In 2024, UNFPA will continue to support partners in the earthquake region to deliver a living space where every pregnancy is planned, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.

United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Türkiye

On the first anniversary of the devastating earthquakes that struck Türkiye, which hosts the largest refugee population in the world, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) extends its heartfelt support to those affected by the tragedy. The earthquakes impacted a region of more than 15 million people living in 11 provinces, 1.75 million of whom are refugees. As part of the UN family in Türkiye, UNHCR, working in coordination with government counterparts, has played a pivotal role in emergency relief efforts, responding to the urgent needs of all survivors, both Turkish citizens and refugees who lived side by side in the same collapsed buildings.

To date, UNHCR has provided approximately 3 million core relief items, including tents, hygiene kits, bedding, and warm clothing, sourced from its in-country and global stocks. These efforts contribute to national initiatives to address the immediate needs of the affected population, as disasters of this scale require a long-term recovery process.

Beyond improving living conditions, UNHCR has implemented specialized protection services to promote the well-being of all those impacted. In 2023 alone, over 500,000 individuals have benefited from UNHCR-funded protection activities, which include legal counselling, identification and referral of individuals with specific needs to specialized services, and psychosocial support.

In June 2023, UNHCR initiated a cash assistance program targeting refugees and asylum-seekers impacted by the earthquakes. This one-time financial support has aided 13,838 households (68,245 individuals) to date. Additionally, 13,144 households (66,115 individuals) received assistance through another UNHCR cash program to cover winter-related expenses.

UNHCR has led joint UN efforts, particularly in the area of protection based on its mandate, while collaborating with partners, NGOs, UN agencies, and local authorities across various sectors.

Despite the impressive response by Türkiye, supported by UN agencies, NGOs and other partners, the earthquake's impact continues to pose challenges, especially for vulnerable groups and individuals. Some refugees require a longer-term solution and a fresh start in a new environment to rebuild their lives. In resettlement, UNHCR has prioritized cases of affected refugees, expediting processing and dedicating efforts to assess as many affected refugees as possible. In 2023, over 16,800 resettlement submissions were made, with almost 90% from the earthquake-affected region.

Maintaining close coordination with partners, communities, and authorities, including the Presidency for Migration Management (PMM), the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), the Turkish Red Crescent (TRC), and line ministries such as the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) and Ministry of Family and Social Services (MoFSS), UNHCR remains committed to assessing real-time needs and adapting its response as the situation evolves.

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Türkiye

Following the earthquakes in 2023, UNICEF from day one immediately stepped up its efforts to support affected communities. Initially UNICEF focused on life saving support for children and their families including provision of water trucking, heaters, winter clothes and learning tents.

The UNICEF response has evolved into long term recovery efforts covering support to school infrastructure, water treatment and provision, early childhood education, immunization and availing cash transfers for families.

So far, UNICEF has reached over 3 millin people with clean water, and provided over 750,000 with hygiene kits, to meet the immediate needs of the most vulnerable children and families since February. More than 1.3 million people have been reached with improved sanitation through UNICEF’s support.

UNICEF is also working closely with partners to provide psychosocial support to children and front-line staff traumatized by the earthquake by providing emergency psychosocial support to caregivers and establishing over 47 hubs /safe spaces for children. These spaces offer psychosocial support, counseling, and recreational activities, helping over 630, 000 children heal and regain a sense of normalcy.  

Nearly 1 million children are accessing formal or informal education, including early learning, with UNICEF’s support and in the 11 provinces affected by the earthquakes.

To alleviate the economic situation over 102,000 families with children benefitted from the UNICEF cash programme focused on improving their access to basic provisions and immediate needs.

To ensure adequate accountability to affected communities, over 420,000 people have been reached with messages on ways to provide feedback on available essential services.

With UNICEF procurement support of vaccines and cold chain equipment, over 1,5 million

young children were reached with life-saving vaccines. Through community-based health education programmes, UNICEF supported the counselling of over 100,000 mothers of young children in nutrition and parenting empowerment for better care and development. 

Through its unwavering commitment and dedication, UNICEF has made a lasting impact on the lives of children in Türkiye. UNICEF remains a steadfast ally, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential. 

UN WOMEN Türkiye

UN Women’s response aims to ensure that women and girls impacted by the disaster are provided with multisectoral services and support for their urgent needs and recovery, and opportunities for their agency in the humanitarian response. To achieve this goal, UN Women worked with numerous partners – Ministries, local authorities, communities, civil society organizations (CSOs), other UN agencies and th eprivate sector – through a two-pronged approach: 

i) supporting the mainstreaming of gender and women's leadership in the coordination, planning, prioritization and financing of humanitarian response and recovery efforts; 

ii) direct support to affected women, and government and civil society partners based on their identified needs.

In line with its triple mandate and technical expertise, UN Women worked to ensure that all sectors have information, data, and concrete intervention tools to address the specific needs of women and girls. UN Women convened 17 sectors and working groups, comprising UN agencies and CSOs, through the Women’s Empowerment in Humanitarian Action Working Group and offered technical and advisory assistance based on IASC commitments on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in humanitarian settings.  To increase the availability of gender data and analyses, UN Women carried out and disseminated several assessments and collaborated with UN partners on different inter-agency surveys.

An important focus has been localization and support to women's civil society organizations which play critical role as first responders and advocates for the rights of women. UN Women facilitated collaboration between humanitarian sector groups and over 60 local women’s CSOs to enable localized gender-equitable outcomes, prioritizing at risk and vulnerable women. UN Women channeled in-kind contributions, provided financial and programmatic support to 10 CSOs as they worked with women and girls in the field. Professionals and volunteers from 43 CSOs gained knowledge on psychological first aid with a gender perspective. Through its CSO partners, UN Women reached over 5500 women and girls with legal and psycho-social counselling, awareness raising on safety and protection, skills development, and essential hygiene items.

As the risk of violence against women increases after crises, UN Women supported national partners to provide uninterrupted and continuous protective and preventive services. This resulted in: Enhanced response capacities and gender knowledge of law enforcement officials, social workers and local lawyers;  Refurbished Violence Prevention and Monitoring Centers in Hatay and Kahramanmaraş and initiated collaboration with Ministry of Family and Social Services for the reconstruction of damaged women’s shelters; Designed local action plans for service provision in crisis; First of its kind Emergency Coordination Plan for Women Services in Kocaeli as disaster preparedness measure. Women’s access to justice was increased by enhancing their post-earthquake legal literacy in partnership with the Union of Turkish Bar Associations. 

UN Women’s private sector partners took an active role in the response and recovery efforts. The gender-responsive settlement model developed by UN Women and implemented in collaboration with Koç Holding emphasizes the integration of a gender lens in settlement design, and reconstruction efforts while prioritizing women's empowerment and leadership. 2 Women’s Empowerment Hubs were established in temporary settlements in partnership with the women’s CSO KEDV, targeting over 5000 women and girls with with services, skills development and support to empower them to be resilient and self-reliant.  UN Women mobilized numerous private sector partners who helped more than 30,000 women and girls to receive clothing and personal hygiene items, and enabled women entrepreneurs and cooperatives from the affected region to gain access to Turkiye’s biggest e-commerce platform and sell their products as corporate gifts.

World Food Programme (WFP) Türkiye

As the largest humanitarian agency in hunger and food security with its presence in 120 countries and 23.000 staff, WFP delivered the first food assistance within 48 hours to the vulnerable people of the region after the earthquakes on February 6. The primary humanitarian effort of the emergency response, which focused on food assistance, continued for three months in cooperation with 60 municipalities in the 11 provinces most affected by the earthquake. In total, around 1.6 million earthquake-affected people received WFP food assistance in the form of cooked meals, food packages, and/or ready-to-eat rations.

The agency, with the support of the Government of Türkiye and its partners, not limiting itself to food assistance alone, provided support in various areas in the face of the magnitude of the devastation.

WFP also provided a wide range of logistical support, including the establishment of 25 Mobile Storage Units (MSUs), the setup of 7 mobile kitchens, and the distribution of containers to municipalities. Furthermore, WFP offered infrastructure services to maintain emergency communications, such as charging stations, in the region during the three-month emergency response.

As markets started to function again, WFP transitioned to multi-purpose cash distribution, joining forces with the Turkish Red Crescent (TRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), through a joint initiative called “Collective Kindness” reaching more than 600,000 earthquake affected persons with cash they could use to address their essential needs in the local markets while also helping boost market recovery.

To facilitate affected people’s access to income. WFP and the Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants (ASAM) initiated the Early Recovery by the Socioeconomic Empowerment and Sustainability Programme, a branch of WFP’s existing livelihoods programs, to place around 600 people in jobs and help them restore earning capacity.

WFP provided emergency response with contributions from Canada, European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), German Humanitarian Aid, Korea, Kuwait, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (UN CERF), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

World Health Organization (WHO) Türkiye

After the February 6 earthquakes in Turkiye, the WHO Country Office, in collaboration with the Regional Office (RO) and Headquarters (HQ), led immediate and comprehensive support initiatives. Establishing the Emergency Medical Team (EMT) Coordination Cell with the RO and HQ marked the beginning of WHO's largest EMT operation in history.

The Rapid Health Needs Assessment, with the WHO European Centre for Preparedness for Humanitarian and Health Emergencies, played a crucial role in planning and donor coordination. WHO swiftly provided Emergency Health Kits, addressed urgent health issues, and, in collaboration with UNICEF, led coordination in the Health and Nutrition sector. Simultaneously, WHO actively managed the MHPSS network from the earthquake's early days.

In collaboration with MoH and MoFSS, WHO provided significant support to the provision of MHPSS services, procured and delivered 33 containers to the region to sustain MHPSS services.

In addressing Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), WHO applied a multi-pronged approach. This included capacity building initiatives for UMKE and the supply of reagents to public health laboratories in affected areas to prevent and monitor potential outbreaks of communicable diseases.

During reconstruction, WHO pledged extended support, emphasizing the restoration and sustainable provision of Primary Health Care (PHC) services, especially for those with chronic conditions. Priorities included MHPSS and enhancing the Health Information System.

Leveraging earthquake lessons, WHO strengthens emergency preparedness, health security, and national Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs). Three EU-funded projects (Health Security, Mental Health, and Laboratory Preparedness) will run from 2024 to 2026, emphasizing sustained support for ongoing recovery.

WHO also sustains RCCE initiatives in affected provinces, actively sharing crucial information through diverse channels and distributing materials. Collaborating with partners, WHO provides community health services to vulnerable host communities and Syrian refugees in Hatay province.