Iran (Islamic Republic of): Khoy Earthquake on 28 Jan 2023 Response (As of December 2023)

This report is produced by United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs UN OCHA in collaboration with humanitarian partners in Iran. It covers the period from [28 Jan 2023 to 31 Dec 2023]. The next report will be issued on or around [31 Mar 2024]

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

On 28 January 2023 at 21:44, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck Khoy in West Azerbaijan province of Iran. The earthquake occurred at a depth of seven kilometres and followed two other strong quakes in the same region that were registered on 5 October 2022 (1,308 injured) and 18 January 2023 (252 injured) with 5.4 magnitude. Since the first earthquake in October 2022, more than 500 aftershocks between 3 to 4.8 magnitude were registered in Khoy.

In response to a letter from the national authorities requesting international humanitarian assistance from the United Nations on January 30, 2023, under the overall leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator (RC), the UN launched an earthquake response effort coordinated by OCHA and the UN Disaster Management Team.
This resulted in an integrated response based on the needs of the affected population and the comparative advantage of UN agencies in the country, complementing the existing government relief mechanism.

A multi-agency assessment mission led by the UN team in Iran swiftly identified the immediate needs of those most severely affected by the disaster. This assessment enabled the UN system to rapidly engage in resource mobilization including from a global mechanism such as the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)and nationally established pooled fund - One UN Impact Fund for Iran – and donor funding raised individual UN agencies, as depicted in the Funding Section.

The timely allocation of the CERF funding allowed the UN to address the most urgent, life-saving needs of the people affected by the Khoy Earthquake in 2023. Multi-purpose cash assistance enabled families to immediately meet their basic needs, while the focus on health ensured urgent medical assistance to the most vulnerable. The funding ensured that protection needs, including gender-based violence and child protection were addressed, ensuring the safety and well-being of women, children, and the most vulnerable groups.

To date, the UN response has reached over 122,663 affected people and aims to assist a total of 246,669 by the end of 2024.

A total of $3,040,750 has been mobilized through different UN funds to support response activities implemented by seven UN agencies.

Key interventions included the provision of emergency food assistance to 9,780 people, cash transfers benefiting over 6,644 individuals and families, rehabilitation of damaged schools and mobile health clinics providing services to over 57,022 people.
Essential relief items such as blankets and hygiene kits were distributed. Support was also provided to strengthen Government response capacities in areas such as disaster risk reduction training and water quality testing.

While progress has been made, recovery needs remain high.
Continued humanitarian support coordinated with national authorities will be critical to ensure affected populations fully rebuild livelihoods and community infrastructure impacted by the series of earthquakes in Khoy.

This consolidated report, drafted in response to a request from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Islamic Republic of Iran, outlines the strategic initiatives and financial resources mobilized by the United Nations in Iran in response to the Khoy earthquake.